Like Father, Like Daughter
by Moony3003
Summary: Thalia Greyback makes her escape but how long does it take for her to realise how similar she is to her father? Rated M for a reason. Contains - incest, rape, blood, torture, gore and violence. Don't like any of these, please do not read.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **Nothing of Harry Potter belongs to me. Just borrowing the characters for a little while.

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Warnings! If you failed to read the warnings before clicking into the story, please pay attention now! I cannot say this any clearer. If you are bothered by any of the following, do not read:

*Rape - including that of children.

*Incest

*Torture

*Blood

*Gore

*Violence

Again, if any of the above bothers you - DO NOT READ. If you are still planning to continue and are unhappy with the content, do not bother flaming or abusing me or my story. It is your fault for reading it. I've had enough of people bashing my story because they had problems with the content but read it anyway. I am completely aware that areas of this story are disturbing, sick and twisted. This is my first story of this kind and probably my last.

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A/N: Story was originally called 'Damaged'. I'm rewriting it and giving it a new title. Please don't point that out.

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Like Father, Like Daughter

Chapter One

The breathing became rapid as the two bodies moved together, fast and hard. It was wild and yet completely unnatural, inhuman. The stars in the ivory sky twinkled flawlessly above them, the moon hung high, nearing its fullness and the leaves of nearby trees rustled with the slight breeze that ran through, drifting cool air along its path.

A howl of satisfaction entered the night as the alpha male slipped his hard member into his young pup. He drove his hips hard into the young feminine body beneath him, delighting in the way her body twisted and writhed underneath, although whether it was in pain or discomfort, he didn't care.

Thalia stifled a moan and panted as the beast continued his unrelenting pace. "Would you like me to stop?" asked Fenrir Greyback as he took in a whiff of her scent. It smelt of fear, loathing and an underlining of pure lust.

A gasp sounded below him but it went ignored. Thalia's hands clenched the bits of grass, dirt and whatever else was on the ground within reach as she tried hard to keep his words out. His voice was torture to her. It was rough and raspy, but it made her feel like a pure animal with the instincts to match. It made her wet and wanting but his touch made her want to run or fight back but she never did either. To escape was impossible. He was the alpha male and she was the youngest in the pack. What she ever wanted was never anyone's concern.

A growl hummed menacingly followed by a sharp cry. Fenrir licked at the new wound in Thalia's neck, smiling at her pain, still waiting for his answer. The pace increased and it was clear that his patience wasn't going to last much longer at all. Her eyes widened as the tears fell. She couldn't remember the question.

"Yes," she finally heaved, taking a guess.

It only took mere second for Thalia to learn she had said the wrong thing. A scream tore from her mouth as he slammed his body against hers over and over again. Thalia shut her eyes tightly, ignoring the tears that still fell and counted to ten in her mind, determined to hold on just a little longer. It was almost over.

"Do you still want me to stop?" he growled.

At the repeated question, fear flooded through Thalia's system. Keeping her eyes closed, she tried to scramble away but she didn't get far. Fenrir was stronger and much heavier that her and his large hands were able to keep her body exactly where he wanted it without much effort. But the attempt drew out a long, amused chuckle.

"No, please..." begged Thalia, unsure of what she was asking for.

The heat between their bodies doubled as Fenrir leaned his large body over hers, pressing his chest to her back. "Please what? What is it you want?" he asked with a lick of her ear lobe.

A shiver ran down her spine at the feel of his rough tongue. Fenrir's hands slid up her mostly clothed body and soon reached her breasts. He grasped and pinched them hard until Thalia cried out.

"Answer me, pup!" he snarled.

"I want..." Thalia stopped and moaned as Fenrir teased her just how she liked. "...you..." she finished. It sounded forced and almost painful as Thalia said it. But there was no choice. To say nothing at all was asking for trouble.

Fenrir became more aroused in the most animalistic way. For what seemed like hours Fenrir moved in and out of her body, as fast and as hard as he possible could, his pace completely unyielding. It was moments like this he treasured; out in the woods, the smell of fresh air surrounding them, the body of one of his females and the look of the moon high above them as though it were blessing. There was no better feeling than this.

When Fenrir finally came, so did Thalia, reluctantly. Together they howled up at the moon, their voices tangled and confused, neither of them sounding human.

When morning light dawned on the sleeping ground, Fenrir was still laying there, his dark, impassive eyes gazing at the last of the fading stars. Familiar sounds of day had begun; the birds in the trees and his pack which were nearby, setting up for breakfast. He would join them soon enough. But as his arm fell to his side, it landed on the ground and not on what he had been expecting.

Fenrir was on his feet in seconds, scanning the immediate area. There was no sign of her or of anyone else. An angry yell erupted from deep in his throat, startling a few birds in neighbouring trees and soon it became quiet from all directions. With a deep sniff, his head turned slowly, looking through a thicket of trees that he knew led towards London. She was fleeing.

Far away, Thalia ran as fast as her legs could carry her. Her breaths came out in hard pants, her heart hammered against her ribcage and blood rushed through her ears, deafening her to all other sounds. As the adrenaline coursed through, she tried to run faster, knowing that Fenrir could catch up quickly if he decided to chase.

A yelp of surprise flew through the air as Thalia tripped over a tree root on the ground, sending her sprawling. She hissed through her teeth at the pain that throbbed in her hands and knees. At lifting her head she spotted a small lake a few metres from where she lay. Cautiously, she got back to her feet and stepped towards it and washed her hands and knees before taking a quick drink. She needed a place to go. Staying on the run wasn't an option. She wouldn't last three days. After a seconds thought, it came to her; Hogwarts.

From her father's angry ranting and babblings about the school, she knew where it was. Taking the wand from inside her tattered black robe, she looked at it and hesitated, running her fingers over the scratched wood. Suddenly, she felt a new kind of fear. What if she was turned away?

With the limited options staring her in the face, Thalia stood tall and with a loud crack, she disappeared on the spot, soon arriving at a completely new location. Swallowing thickly, she looked around. There was another wooded area surrounding her but there were differences. The trees were darker in colour and the leaves were a midnight green and she stood on a well used dirt track.

As she turned again, she stopped abruptly. A tall black gate appeared before her made of thick iron. Feeling somewhat suspicious she stepped closer and tapped her wand against the very centre. To her amazement it sprung open and remained so until she stepped through. As it creaked behind her she turned and watched it shut. After it was firmly closed, a wave of faint white light covered the iron and vanished.

She continued up the dirt path and soon the castle came into view. A breath hitched in her throat and she stopped again. She almost had no words to describe it. It was magnificent. Far beyond what she had imagination the odd time it had been mentioned. The black mass was littered up with lights, giving it a distinctive shape. The sky behind was an indigo blue, cloudless, with stars lighting it up.

She soon reached the steps which led to double doors that were open. Inside she saw a deserted corridor. The next set of double doors in front was closed but the candles lining each wall were burning strong, casting small shadows above them. Thalia felt deflated. The feeling of hopelessness had returned. She wasn't even sure what she was doing here.

Suddenly, footsteps sounded from behind her and she turned to face whoever they belonged to. There were three people standing up the stone steps that led upwards. Thalia's grip on her wand tightened. The man in front had a long silver beard and hair and she could see bright blue eyes staring at her from behind half-moon spectacles. His arm was raised and steady as his wand was pointed directly at her.

With the few seconds she spared herself, her eyes flickered to the other two standing just behind him. The woman wore a black witch's hate, her black hair tied back in a tight bun and green robes that came high up on her neck. The man was entirely dressed in black, his robes swishing at the hard ground and his black shoulder length hair hung around his pale face like a greasy curtain.

"Drop your wand," said the elderly man, his voice calm but firm.

Before Thalia could reply, a wave of dizziness passed over her. The room looked as though it were spinning. It rotated violently and the world did a sick roll and the ground was rushing to meet her. Everything turned dark.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

A pained groan sounded through the room as the only person inside opened her eyes. Immediately, they widened, suddenly in fear of where she was. It was a room she'd never seen before. It resembled a hall but was full of beds covered in white sheets rather than tables. Arched windows covered most of the wall space and showed a fading blue sky and only the odd star.

As Thalia pulled herself up, she kicked the thick white sheet off her body and got to her feet. They were bare and the stone floor was cold to the touch. A slight breeze wafted through the room and she glanced down. Her clothes had been changed. A small frown appeared. They were black robes, clean and without holes. Crossing the room, she stood beside an empty bed and gazed out the window. All she could see was a Quidditch pitch.

A breath of surprise hitched in her throat and she turned to face the rest of the room. She hadn't dreamt it. She really was at Hogwarts. The memories of what happened came rushing back. There had been three people but the rest was a blur. Slowly, her frown deepened as she patted down her body. It wasn't on her. Moving back to the bed, she checked the small white table beside it. It wasn't there either. Her wand was gone.

She knew she shouldn't have been surprised. Her arrival was unexpected and they'd never seen her before. Being careful was something they had to do. There were students here. They couldn't just let anyone in. Instantly, the question of why she was allowed in went through her mind. But before she could come up with any sort of answer the double doors up the other end slowly began to open and she scrambled back into bed, throwing the covers over her legs.

A lone figure appeared in the doorway. He was tall, dressed in long, deep crimson robes that dragged along the floor as he walked. He stepped into the room and approached the bed she occupied. Their eyes met but neither of them said anything. Silently, he pulled his wand from inside his robe and instantly Thalia tensed up but he only conjured a chair and sat down, leaving at least a metre between them.

A patient look graced his features and his blue eyes were bright and full of readied questions. She watched silently as he put his wand away and clasped his hands together, settling them in his lap. He gave a small smile before he started speaking, his voice soft yet firm.

"Do you have a name?"

Hesitantly, she licked her dry lips and nodded. "Thalia Greyback."

"I'm Albus Dumbledore," he said with a nod of his own. "And you are at Hogwarts but I trust you know that."

Thalia nodded but said nothing. She didn't trust her voice anymore or the man sitting beside her. From her father's ramblings, Dumbledore was known to her but she had no idea what he looked like. It wasn't quite what she pictured. Fenrir had mentioned several times how he'd like to shut the old man up once and for all and she'd known for a while how he wanted to do it. It sent unpleasant shivers down her spine.

"I've been informed that you're a werewolf," said Dumbledore in a kind tone.

"Yes," she whispered, still holding his gaze. "What are you going to do?"

"Nothing," said Dumbledore with a faint shrug. "We're just going to talk. Firstly, I want to know why you came here, of all the places you could go?"

Finally, the eye contact broke as Thalia looked away, unable to stand it any longer. She gazed down at the blanket over her legs, making them look like two big lumps in an otherwise flawless, flat sheet. She went over a few different ways of answering in her head, but no matter what she came up with, it brought heaps more questions with it.

"My father's a monster," she finally answered. "I had to escape him. Hogwarts is the only place I know that's out of his reach."

"Tell me about you," said Dumbledore, avoiding the conversation concerning Fenrir.

"There's not much to tell," said Thalia, shrugging. "I was born a werewolf. Father killed my mother when I was five. I was raised by him and his pack. He taught me to hunt, a couple of useful spells and a few other, smaller things. Last night I took my chance when he was asleep and I ran."

"Why did you wait until last night?" asked Dumbledore.

Thalia's fingers picked at the blanket still covering her legs, pulling it up over and over as a small distraction. "More than once I've seen what happens to people who run from him. They end up mutilated, barely breathing or dead, their body parts scattered across where he caught them. I didn't want either of those things to happen to me."

"You're his daughter," said Dumbledore.

Thalia scoffed at the statement. "That doesn't matter," she said, her voice growing in confidence. "It's never mattered. I'm a werewolf, I'm part of his pack and he's the alpha male. His word is law."

"Tell me about your mother," said Dumbledore, moving it along.

"Her name was Yasmine," said Thalia.

"A fragrant flower," murmured Dumbledore, mostly to himself.

"I don't really look like her," continued Thalia. "She was beautiful; long burgundy hair that fell just below her waist and deep ocean blue eyes. The only thing I think I inherited was the pale skin which isn't a blessing. It shows the scars too easily. I don't know how father met her or where she came from. She was a Muggle, I did know that."

"He never bit her?" asked Dumbledore, a faint frown appearing.

"No," said Thalia, shaking her head. "I never asked why but I could guess. Controlling her as a scared human Muggle would be easier than a werewolf who didn't know what was happening."

Dumbledore gave a thoughtful nod of his head. "There must have been more children."

The question stopped Thalia fiddling cold and her eyes flickered to Dumbledore's piercing blue ones. She instantly had the feeling that he could see right through her without any effort at all. As she bit hard into her lower lip, she looked away again, this time towards the window. The sky had changed to a hazy blue mixed with a faint tinge of orange as the sun began to peer over the horizon. If she had to guess she'd say it was about five.

"There were others," Thalia confirmed. "Only one other survived."

"Tell me about them," said Dumbledore when she didn't elaborate.

"I was the second child born," said Thalia, her voice slightly shaky. "When I was two, my mother told me I'd had a sister but she died accidentally, which I know now wasn't true. She was named Natalie. I didn't know anything about her really. Then I was born. Then my brother, Aidan was born. I was three years old. I remember sitting outside of a white tent the day he was born, waiting to see the new baby. Father was gone on a hunt. He'd returned a few hours after the birth. He walked right past me and into the tent. I heard screaming, not just from Aidan but from my mother. But soon, it stopped and only my mother was left crying. At the time I didn't understand what had happened but I was soon told by father who bragged about what he did. He said it had to be done because he wasn't like him, that he was human."

Thalia paused as she took in a shaky breath, determined to tell the story. "I did wonder why father didn't just bite and turn him. I realised it was because he didn't need children, that it was just an excuse for something to do and the babies were just a bonus if the baby turned out to be a werewolf. He enjoyed killing them, I know he did. He has no feelings, no remorse. I doubt he even knows the meaning of the words."

Again, Thalia paused to wipe the disobedient tear that ran down her face. "My mother got pregnant one more time, when I was five," she continued in a quiet voice. "It was another girl. Mother named her Gracie. Father was present at the birth this time, as was I. I sat in the corner, watching through my fingers. I tried not to watch but the noises were impossible to ignore. Soon, a baby's cry was heard and part of me felt happy that it was over. But father soon turned angry and violent. It seemed this child was of no use to him either. I heard him growl and it was then that I removed my hands and clutched them together. The look on his face is something I can't forget. He sneered at her, tauntingly and said to enjoy the few hours he had with her until he came back. My mother sobbed but father just left with the rest of the pack.

"I watched as she held the baby in her arms for at least an hour and soon she called me over and told me the baby's name. She was given to me and my mother told me to run, to take her somewhere safe and come back before father returned. I didn't question her. I took Gracie and I ran. In the first street I came across I scoured all the houses and I eventually found one I didn't mind leaving her at. I could see through the window. The family were in the living room. The woman was knitting something while the man read a book to the two kids sitting beside him. I thought it looked like something out of a fairytale. I placed Gracie on the steps, took a piece of trash from the ground and managed to write her name on it and placed it under the blanket around her. I knocked and ran. I wasn't seen but I watched as they opened the door and took her inside. What happened to her after that, I don't know.

"I then ran back to the pack but father had returned. He asked me where the little brat was but I didn't answer him. He hit me and I fell to the ground. I sat there sobbing while he went back into the tent and dragged my mother out by her hair. I watched but I said nothing at all. Father took a silver knife from his pocket and said that if she had any last words to say them now. She had none. He slit her throat and threw her to the ground like a piece of rubbish. I sobbed harder but it went ignored. Father approached and waved the bloody knife in my face. He said the Muggle was trash and he'd have to make do with me. I remember nodding rapidly at him, watching as the knife moved side to side. The next day, we left that area and moved on to another hunting ground. I don't know what happened to my mother's body."

When Thalia finished talking, the room turned silent and she met Dumbledore's eye again. He regarded her with a kind but curious gaze. It made her wonder if he believed anything she just said. She knew that if she wanted help she going to have to be honest. Although there were some things she wasn't sure she could disclose.

"How old are you now?"

"Seventeen," replied Thalia.

"Your sister would be thirteen then," said Dumbledore softly.

"I suppose," said Thalia with a shrug.

"You don't care?" asked Dumbledore slowly.

"I don't even know if she's alive," said Thalia, forcing herself to keep calm. "The family could have moved or they could have given her to someone else. There's no proof that they raised her."

"Who does your wand belong to?" asked Dumbledore, changing the topic.

A frown of confusion appeared on Thalia's face but she didn't question it. "It belonged to someone father killed. They brought a few back with them. I don't know who its actual owner was." There was a small pause. "You have it, don't you?"

"Yes," said Dumbledore simply. "I want to find out who it originally belonged to but after that you might be able to have it back."

After a long and heavy sigh, Dumbledore rose from his chair and after drawing out his wand and a quick flick of his wrist, he made the chair vanish. Thalia's eyes followed his movements. She suddenly wondered if she had said the wrong thing.

"Is that it?" asked Thalia tentatively.

"For now," replied Dumbledore. "I would think after everything you'd like something to eat and drink."

As he said the words, Thalia felt her stomach rumble. She hadn't noticed her hunger until he had mentioned food. She nodded. "Yeah, I would actually."

"I'll send up a house-elf with something suitable," said Dumbledore, stepping away from the bed. "Until then stay here, relax and I shall return soon and we'll continue our conversation."

Without another word, Dumbledore stepped from the room, the double doors closing on their own behind him. Thalia blinked slowly as she continued to stare at the door after his departure. For some reason his leaving seemed abrupt but she couldn't place the reason why.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The afternoon sunlight drifted from the room, plunging it into growing darkness and it was then that the only resident of the hospital wing opened her eyes. She blinked rapidly several times, pushing the sleepiness from her eyes and slowly sat up. The darkened room was quiet and empty aside from her. With a glance to the opposite window, she could see the darkening indigo blue sky and a few stars that were beginning to flicker to life.

After checking the small white table beside her bed, she realised nothing had changed. She was still at Hogwarts, her wand was still gone and she was still alone. Feeling unsure of what to do, she lay back down and stared up at the high-arched ceiling. It was unlike anything she'd seen before, but then again, there were many things she was sure she'd never seen yet.

A creaking at the other end, made Thalia bolt upright in her bed. The double doors were opening and as though on cue a familiar figure stood in the doorway. With a flick of the wooden object in his hands, small spurts of fire shot through the tip, flying all across the room, settling in the standing torches standing against the walls between every two beds. Thalia pressed her lips together tightly as she watched him approach.

His outward appearance had changed. This time he was wearing long robes of deep purple, the shoes underneath invisible but the soft clunking made her guess that they were boots. A matching purple wizard's hat sat loosely on his head. Like last time, he conjured another chair and sat down in the same position as last time, his long silver beard following the folded movements of his clothes.

"I trust you're feeling better?" he asked, his voice betraying a small amount of concern.

"Yes," said Thalia, nodding.

"I want to continue our conversation from this morning," said Dumbledore softly. "Would that be alright?"

"Sure," said Thalia with a faint shrug. "Although I doubt I can tell you anything else that would be of interest."

A knowing twinkle flashed in Dumbledore's eyes so quick that Thalia was unsure if she'd actually seen it. A sense of uncertainty filled her head. Part of her wondered how much of her story Dumbledore already knew and how much he didn't. She couldn't believe he was asking all of these questions for no reason. There had to be one.

"Tell me about your childhood."

"I already have," snapped Thalia, her tone harsher than intended.

"I'm talking about away from Fenrir," added Dumbledore. "Surely, there were times away from him."

"Of course," said Thalia, her voice returning to normal. "Well... After mother died and father went out hunting I would be left with the eldest female in the pack. Until I was about twelve, I was treated quite well by most members. By that age I was taught to hunt, to track prey and different methods of killing. I didn't go with them each time they hunted, just every few times. It became easy, after a while."

For a moment it turned quiet and Thalia wondered if what she'd said startled the man beside her, made him hesitate about any further questions he had. But after a few blinks and a subtle shift in position, he seemed able to continue. As he spoke, she pulled herself back and leaned against the headboard behind her.

"Do you have a favourite method?" asked Dumbledore calmly.

"Of killing?" asked Thalia. At the headmaster's nod, she shrugged. "I don't think so."

"So, you have killed before?" pressed Dumbledore.

Thalia folded her arms into her lap and licked her lips slowly, turning away from Dumbledore, suddenly feeling unable to meet his eye any longer. "Everyone in the pack has," she answered. "Like I told you earlier, just because I'm the daughter of the alpha male, that doesn't let me off the hook. I was part of his pack and did as I was told, just like the others. It wasn't desirable but many things in this world aren't. If father wants something, he gets it, no questions asked."

"How many people have you killed?"

Thalia scoffed and shook her head at the question. "I don't know," she whispered.

She hung her head and looked down at the blanket that covered her. It looked just like it had this morning. Taking a deep breath, she waited, preparing for the next question, knowing that it was bound to get worse. She had the feeling that Dumbledore wanted to know everything he could possibly know about her and it wouldn't stop until he got the answers he wanted.

"Did you enjoy it?" asked Dumbledore in the same calm tone.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't," admitted Thalia with a sigh. "I was young and I had no choice."

"Are you saying you were justified in your actions because you didn't choose them?" asked Dumbledore curiously.

Thalia met Dumbledore's eyes at the questions, feeling somewhat outraged, but she swallowed it, only just managing to keep her voice steady. "I'm not saying that."

"Are you sure?" pressed Dumbledore. "You've told me you didn't have a choice. But that's not entirely true. If that wasn't the life you wanted, you would have tried to run away much earlier than you did. You could have left when you ran away with little Gracie in your arms but you didn't. You returned to the man you claim is a monster and stayed with him for another thirteen years before trying to leave him for good."

Feeling weighed down by the older man's words, Thalia looked elsewhere, blinking away the tears that were starting to build. The reminder of missed chances was not something she wanted to think about. The day she ran with Gracie was sometimes a blur. Even she couldn't say why she didn't run away instead of going back there. She hated that the horrible truth of it might be that she'd wanted to be there.

"Look," whispered Thalia, breathing deeply. "I'm not proud of anything I've done and I don't have the answers as to why I stayed there as long as I did without trying to escape but the truth is, I didn't like it there. And I told the truth before too. My father is a monster. He kills because he can, attacks children even without the full moon because he wants to and he will pillage anything that holds still long enough."

Thalia drew in another deep but shaky breath. "I'm sorry," she murmured before Dumbledore could say anything.

Dumbledore held up a single hand and shook his head faintly, as though dismissing her outburst. The hospital wing turned silent as it seemed Dumbledore had no more questions but somehow, Thalia was sure it wasn't over. There would be more and if not now, then later.

"How are you feeling, Miss Greyback?"

The question startled Thalia into looking at up at him again. It wasn't something she expected to be asked. In answer she shrugged, feeling somewhat unsure. "Fine, I guess. Why-"

Abruptly, Thalia stopped dead in her sentence. A faint smell wafted in through the open double doors and it was one that sent a cold, frightful chill all the way down her spine. Her body tensed up and she tried to back up on the bed further but the headboard prevented it.

"Is something wrong?" asked Dumbledore, unmoving, an inquisitive look gracing his wrinkled features.

"There's a werewolf here..." said Thalia, the panic clear in her voice.

"Yes, there certainly is," said Dumbledore. "Would you like to meet him? He's been anxious to check on you."

An icy cold blast of panic rushed through her system, making her feel as though her heart had plummeted into her stomach and the contents were about to drop to the floor. The smell became stronger and with a snap of her head towards the doors, she saw a new figure standing in the doorway. There was no hesitation as he walked into the room. He was tall, although slightly shorter than Dumbledore and wearing brown tattered robes that hung off his body loosely.

As he approached the end of the bed, Thalia's position remained the same. But the person in front of her didn't seem bothered in the slightest. His light blue eyes sparkled with something she couldn't distinguish and he smiled at her. Thalia stared back, resisting the urge the hiss at him like a wild, caged animal. She swallowed hard and managed to hold his gaze. He seemed kind, much unlike all the werewolves she'd ever met or lived with.

Slowly, Thalia slipped out from the covers and hopped up from the bed. "I need to the use the bathroom," she whispered.

"Through that door and on your left," said Dumbledore, indicating to the door opposite of the one both he and the other man walked through.

Thalia nodded but said nothing. Cautiously, she stepped past the other werewolf, being careful not to take her eyes off him and walked backwards towards the bathroom. Once inside, she slammed the door shut and turned the lock. Panting heavily, she leaned against the stone basin. At first she thought she was going to be sick but she was mistaken. After a few seconds, her breathing slowed and she finally looked up, seeing her own reflection in the mirror hanging on the wall.

The smooth, clear surface was flawless and no matter where she looked she couldn't see any imperfections, except at the person that looked back. Without realising it, her eyes had widened as they scanned the area of her face. The pale skin had a grey tinge to it and was covered in several scars, some long and some short, many of them overlapping. Her brown hair was frizzled, choppy and flecked with grey.

It all made Thalia wince. It wasn't often that she saw her reflection but whenever she did, she always had the same reaction. She already looked twice her age of seventeen. The lining of her face and the heavy scaring had already physically aged her considerably. After use of the facilities, Thalia washed her hands and entered the hospital wing again. She couldn't tell where in the castle she was but she knew it wasn't too far up.

Both men were still in the room, obviously awaiting her return. She slipped past the man still standing at the end of her bed and at Dumbledore's gesture, sat back on the bed. She drew both legs close and folded them, letting her arms lay over the top. She glanced between them quickly but settled on Dumbledore.

"This is Professor Remus Lupin," said Dumbledore, indicating the other man. "He teaches Defence Against the Dark Arts here at Hogwarts and even attended as a student. And like you, he's a werewolf, as you already know. But there is nothing to be alarmed about. He will not hurt you. In fact, he wants to help you to adjust and meet new people. Not everyone is against werewolves."

"Please leave," whispered Thalia, her eyes focused on Lupin.

Dumbledore turned to Lupin. They shared a silent, meaningful look before Lupin nodded once. "Maybe when you're feeling up to it we can talk," said Lupin before turning on his heel and leaving the room.

As soon as he was gone, Thalia rounded on Dumbledore, her questions sounding urgent in her head. "A werewolf teaches here? What... Adjust to what?"

"To life here and in London," replied Dumbledore, answering her last question.

"I don't understand," she said quietly, her shoulders slumping.

"You will soon," assured Dumbledore. "You will. But for now, I think a little more food and rest is in order. We'll continue our conversation in a few days. Would that be suitable?"

"I have nothing more to tell you," said Thalia.

"I'm sure we'll find something of interest," said Dumbledore, getting to his feet. He pulled out his wand and made the chair vanish like he'd done earlier that day. "But the full moon will be here in a week from tomorrow and you'll need a potion. I can't have you changing in full form without your human mind, considering there are students here. The potions master will be up in the morning so expect him. Oh, and do not be alarmed at his presence. He tends to scare most people."

With those last words, Dumbledore left the hospital wing, leaving Thalia to stare after him. She still didn't understand what he was going on about but she knew she would find out tomorrow morning. With a small frown, she looked down in her lap. She guessed she'd have to stay here until she was told she could leave.

After a few minutes, a loud pop sounded through the room and Thalia watched as a small green creature hobbled towards her bed and placed a tray of food at the. She said nothing but watched as it turned, walked away a little and vanished into thin air with another pop. Thalia glanced towards the food and looked at it carefully before pulling the tray towards her. As she chewed and swallowed the tender meat slowly with nothing but silence for company, her mind stayed occupied with thoughts of Remus Lupin.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Morning light filtered through the hospital wing and birds chirped nearby outside. As the sun's yellow rays poured over the bed, it heated the space underneath, disturbing the sleeper from the peaceful dream floating through their mind. Thalia blinked slowly, looking around at what she could see without moving her head. Nothing had changed except for the light green partition that was stretched along the floor, blocking the view of the bed beside hers.

It was quiet and all she could hear was the odd sizzling noise that sounded as though it came from the other side. The thoughts of what it could be ran through her mind but she had no conclusion. But she didn't get up to check it out. She just continued to lie there, in the same position, waiting to see what came of it.

The answer was revealed when the partition moved soundlessly against the floor as it folded in on itself, repositioning back into its original position. The tall outline of a man appeared, dressed entirely in black robes that swished elegantly with each movement. Something clinked in his hands but she couldn't see what it was. He hunched over, busying himself with whatever it was.

When he turned, Thalia jumped. The recognition returned. She'd seen him yesterday when she arrived here. He was one of the three people standing in the hall, looking at her with a peculiar expression on his face. But the look wasn't there now. The expression was one of boredom, as though there were a million other things he'd rather be doing. With only a fleeting glance of her, he swept passed, placing a heavy object down beside her on the white table.

As he turned and began to walk away, Thalia raised herself to her elbow. "Are you the potions master?"

The man stopped in his tracks and turned unhurriedly. Their eyes met and Thalia stared into the man's black eyes that reminded her of black pools, deep and mysterious. His straight, shoulder-length black hair fell around his shoulders, the fringes curtaining his pale face.

"Severus Snape," he said, introducing himself. "I'll return with the next one tomorrow."

"The next what?" asked Thalia quickly, pulling herself into a sitting position.

"Potion," said Snape, clearly unhappy. "The wolfsbane potion must be taken every day for one week before the full moon and that starts today. If you miss one day, you'll once again turn into the raging monster with nothing but animalistic urges driving you. Drink it as is, add nothing, or it won't work."

As Snape turned away, a look of slight amusement touched Thalia's features. He walked from the room with long strides, making his black robe billow behind him like a plume of black smoke. Once he was gone, she looked to the small white table beside her. The only thing new on it was a goblet made of what looked to be brass. From inside the goblet several tiny spirals of blue smoke rose.

At the growing curiosity Thalia reached over and grabbed hold of it. The goblet was cool to the touch and she brought it beneath her face so she could easily see inside. But it wasn't as exotic as she imagined in her head. The liquid inside was pale blue and had no smell. Sitting up, she took another look at the goblet and after a deep breath, swallowed it down. After the last drop went down, she gagged and dropped the goblet and coughed, spluttering the last bits in her mouth on the floor.

A chuckle sounded off the stone walls, making Thalia's head snap up to attention, the goblet and the taste of the potion forgotten. Her grey eyes snapped upwards towards the double doors but only half of it was visible and the figure was a familiar one, as was the smell of him. Her eyes widened and she swallowed hard, pulling her legs from the white blankets, and slipping off the bed, nearing the empty bed beside her.

"It's alright," said Remus, holding up his hands, palms facing her, showing that he was no threat. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just wanted to talk."

"I thought when I was feeling up to it we'd talk," said Thalia, stopping when her legs hit the bed.

"Yes," Remus sighed, moving in between her bed and the other one, taking a step back to sit on the bed behind him. "But I do get the feeling that that's not going to happen is it?"

Thalia had no answer for him as she didn't want to tell him that he was right. After a deep breath, she slowly approached her bed and sat back down, keeping her legs onto the opposite site to him, just in case. Her eyes remained glued to his face but he was no longer looking at her. His attention was on the floor and a vague smile appeared as he leaned forward and picked up the goblet on the floor, putting it back onto the white table.

"It's got a horrible taste, hasn't it?"

Thalia shrugged vaguely, looking him up and down, not wanting to agree with him. As the minutes passed, Thalia started to believe that he wasn't going to hurt her as he hadn't yet done anything but talking wasn't something she saw as an option. Talking to a werewolf outside of the pack was forbidden; even being near one was considered a betrayal. The confliction battled in her head but Remus didn't seem to notice anything.

"I remember feeling relieved when the potion was invented although it is quite difficult to make," said Remus conversationally. "I have attempted to make it and I've made many mistakes with trying. Only once I succeeded properly. I take it that this is the first time drinking it?"

Thalia nodded but still said nothing. She saw Remus' face fall slightly, the lines of his face becoming apparent. As her eyes flickered to the wand still in his hand, Remus put it away and clasped his hands together, leaning forward on his legs.

"I know this is scary but you need to open up to us," said Remus quietly.

"I have," mumbled Thalia, her voice breaking on the last word, feeling as though everything she had already said was worth nothing.

"I'm talking more about the present," said Remus slowly, choosing his words carefully. "In order to trust you we need something more than stories of your past. We want to help and protect you but-"

"You need information in return," said Thalia bitterly, forgetting her hesitation with him just seconds ago.

"We're in a war and you're father is a part of that war," explained Remus. "And now, so are you. I know the reasons you left him are personal but you still have an opportunity to help us stop him."

"You mean kill him?" said Thalia sharply. "You want information about what he and the Death Eaters are up to and then use that to kill him?"

"In short, yes," said Remus, his shoulders slumping. "I know Dumbledore was unclear about what he wants from you but he is actually interested in you as well as what you know."

"He doesn't know you're here…" said Thalia, reading his face. "But I don't know anything," said Thalia, dismissing it. "What my father does away from the pack, I know nothing of. I've only met a couple of Death Eaters and I didn't speak to either of them alone or overhear anything about any plans. I have nothing to contribute."

"Maybe you don't want to share anything, thinking it's insignificant," suggested Remus. "Or maybe you could help us in a different way."

"How?" asked Thalia suspiciously.

"Your father controls nearly every pack in Britain," said Remus slowly, keeping her gaze. "Turning them has been difficult and I could use some help."

"So, that's what you and Dumbledore want," said Thalia. "You want me to turn against my father."

"You've already done that," said Remus exasperatedly, not understanding why she's still refusing. "Running away from him was a betrayal. I've been in a pack before, Thalia. The alpha demands loyalty and you spat on everything when you turned away from him. The fact that he's your father is irrelevant. Very soon you're going to have to choose which side you're going to fight with."

Thalia said nothing. Her eyes remained on Remus as he got to his feet and started to walk away. His last words resonated in her mind and the conflicted she felt earlier still remained. Fighting against her father and his side would mean forgiveness is impossible. Returning there now she might be given a second chance, after a few punishments first, of course.

"I hope you make the right decision," said Remus, coming to a stop and looking at her again.

"And if I don't?" asked Thalia quietly.

Remus' shoulders slumped and he gave her nothing but a grim look. Thalia had the feeling that if she refused to help them, things weren't going to be good for her. Remus walked from the room and Thalia was alone once more. Slowly, Thalia lay down on her side and stared at the empty bed opposite. Running away seemed to only make things more complicated.

* * *

"I know you're awake, Miss Greyback."

Thalia sighed and pulled herself up into a sitting position. Dumbledore sat in a chair just near her bed, his robes of pale gold hitting the floor around his feet and a faint smile on his wrinkled face, making his blue eyes twinkle in the torch light.

"I heard you and Remus had a conversation," he said knowingly. "I do wish he had waited through."

"For what?" snapped Thalia. "To be told what your real intentions were for helping me?"

The elderly wizard's expression remained the same, only his smile growing a little more. "I'm afraid in times like these we all do what we have to," said Dumbledore. "And once I learned who you were I had to take advantage of that."

"Even if I don't know anything?" asked Thalia quickly.

"You may know more than you think," retorted Dumbledore. "The mind of a child is a wonderful thing. It's able to absorb the tiniest of details, the tiniest specks of emotion given off by an adult, especially a parent. You were close to your mother. The detail in which you spoke of her told that. But when it comes to Fenrir you freeze as though he's in the room or you get angry. I understand the reasons. Growing up with him and the things you suffered at his hands should never be experienced by anybody but you have an opportunity to help us and the wizarding world."

"At what cost?" asked Thalia.

"I guess that's up to you," said Dumbledore, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. "I can't force you to do anything for us but if you're willing come to me when you're ready."

"And if that doesn't happen?" asked Thalia slowly.

"Then I'll have no choice but to keep you here and keep you isolated," replied Dumbledore. "I can't put you out there in the world if you're not prepared to help and I can't take the risk that you're going to return to Fenrir and tell him what you know about us."

"Which is nothing," said Thalia in a bored tone, feeling as though she's done nothing but repeat the same words.

Dumbledore seemed to have noticed the same thing. "Yes, you've told me that before," he said with a faint chuckle. He got to his feet and stepped to the end of the bed. "Sleep on it," suggested Dumbledore. "And we'll see what decision you come to."

Dumbledore left the room and in a fit of sudden anger, Thalia grabbed the empty goblet that Remus had placed on the bedside table and threw it across the room. It hit the wall hard and fell onto the floor, bouncing a couple times before rolling to a stop. She panted heavily, her eyes glued to the goblet.

The only thought that came to mind was that it wasn't fair. To get the help and protection she wanted she had to tell them something of importance. Taking her eyes off the goblet, Thalia lay down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. A heavy sigh escaped her. It didn't matter how she looked at it anymore. She was trapped.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Sorry for the long time between updates. The site is being mean and I'm having trouble getting into my stories.

* * *

Chapter Five

In the early hours of the morning, bed springs creaked and groaned as the weight was lifted off them and soon replaced by the patter of feet against stone. The heavy double doors at the end opened and closed with a gentle tug and the sound echoed down the corridor. Footsteps sounded away from the hospital wing, and towards the end of the corridor. It was empty with only windows and lit torches for company. At the end, the journey continued left as there was nowhere else to go and she started down the new corridor which looked exactly the same. Tentatively, an arm reached out and fingers skimmed along the wall, feeling the coolness of the smooth wooden panels.

The end of the second corridor ended with two choices; left or right. A look down each one was of no help. They both looked the same except only one was lit with torches while the other was shrouded in darkness. Taking the safe option she turned right. Wandering in the dark with no sense of direction was not on the list of wanted experiences.

Halfway down, her arms wrapped around her torso as a chilly shiver ran through. Even with the torches lit it could still be considered creepy; inside a castle late at night with no one about. A faint smell wafted in on the air from behind. It was familiar and she swallowed heavily over the lump that had risen in her throat. She picked up her speed, racing towards the end of the corridor that seemed further away than before.

"Miss Greyback," called the voice.

A frightened yelp echoed off the walls and down the corridor as she jumped around to face the man that had spoken. Remus stepped closer, the glow from the torch lighting up his scarred face. He stood straight, his arms held behind his back and his eyes showing nothing but concern.

"What are you doing out here?"

Thalia breathed deeply in and out, trying to steady her heart which pounded heavily against her ribcage. Fear still lingered in her system making her hands shake and her legs feel like jelly. With her arms still around her torso she clung to the sides of her black robes, hoping to hide some of the shaking and her fear along with it.

"I wanted to speak with Dumbledore," she whispered honestly.

"It's quite late," said Remus, looking down at her. "Couldn't it wait until tomorrow?"

"No," said Thalia defiantly.

Remus didn't seem to need any more of an answer than that. He made a small gesture for her to follow and almost side by side, they walked down the rest of the corridor together, making a left turn at the end. Straight ahead, Thalia could see a huge gargoyle statue standing in front of what looked to be a stairway. At reaching it, they stopped a few feet away. Thalia looked up at Remus but his eyes were on the statue.

"Fudge Flies," said Remus clearly.

Thalia frowned but a loud, grating noise startled her into looking at the statue which had begun to move. It spun around and faced the other side, exposing the stairs it hid. It took a few seconds for Thalia's mind to come back to her and she glanced up at Remus again. His head tilted towards the stairs.

"I'm sure Dumbledore knows you're here," said Remus quietly.

Thalia nodded and left Remus' side. She climbed the stairs, nothing but the sounds of her feet against the stone for company. At the top, she hesitantly knocked on the thick wooden door. A minute passed before she knocked again. There was no answer. Carefully, she pushed against the door and it opened without hindrance and she stepped into the room.

It was a large circular room with many windows and portraits that lined the walls. In one corner were a number of spindly tables upon which were set delicate looking silver instruments that whirred and emitted small puffs of smoke. The desk sat in the centre with a tall chair and a large portrait behind it, its occupant sleeping soundly. Beside the desk was a perch but there was nothing on it. With a turn of her head, she noticed the nearest window was open. Beyond the desk was a set of stairs that spiralled upwards and beyond it, an impressive row of bookshelves, all of them stacked high with an assortment of books.

As her eyes went back to the perch, Thalia approached it. It was high off the ground with a thick wooden perch across the middle and a thick lump of ash surrounding the metal tray beneath it. Thalia frowned but didn't touch it. Whatever it housed was gone and some part of her was glad for it.

"I am sorry Fawkes isn't here for you to meet."

Thalia looked up towards the voice. Dumbledore stood at the top of the stairs, wearing long robes of dark grey and what looked to be a sleeping cap. He took his time in moving down the staircase, stopping at the end to glance at her, his glasses almost hanging off the end of his crooked nose. Without saying anything, Dumbledore moved closer and Thalia stepped back so he could get between her to reach his desk. He pulled out the tall chair and sat down, resting his elbows on it instantly.

"Have a seat, Miss Greyback," he said politely, pointing to the chair opposite.

Nodding, Thalia moved to the chair and sat down tensely. The soft noises from the still spinning instruments caught her attention and she watched them for a moment, feeling uncomfortable as more time passed. When she turned back to look at Dumbledore she found him already looking at her, his blue eyes glinting off the dull light.

"I trust you are here for a reason," said Dumbledore when she said nothing.

"Yes," she muttered quickly. "I've been awake all night thinking about what you said and I think I agree. I can understand the need to be careful in times such as these. I don't fully understand what is going on but I'm sure someone can inform me. If I can help, I want to. I will. Although I'm still a little unsure as to how I'll be able to help."

"I have faith in you, Miss Greyback."

"Remus mentioned something about other werewolf packs in Britain…" said Thalia slowly.

"Yes, well, that will come later," said Dumbledore. "First I want you to become acquainted with this side. Years ago I brought together a group of people who wanted to fight Voldemort. The group is the Order of the Phoenix. The Christmas Holidays are in a couple of weeks. I'll introduce you then but until that time, you'll remain here. At the end of the week you'll join Remus in his office for the night."

The room turned quiet as Thalia wasn't sure what to say. She wanted to ask what the Order of the Phoenix was but the words didn't form into anything coherent. She also wanted to know who was in this group but the knowledge of that seemed overwhelming.

"Why will I be in with Remus… in his office?"

"Although you will be harmless when you transform I can't have you in a public room," said Dumbledore.

"I haven't seen anyone in there while I've been here," said Thalia.

"It has been a good few days at this school," said Dumbledore with a faint smile. "On that note, if a student does come in, say nothing to them. It would be seen as rude but I don't want the knowledge of you going around the school."

"And I suppose just being seen in there won't bring up questions?" said Thalia, raising an eyebrow.

Dumbledore gave her a stern look. "You know what I mean."

"Then why would anyone care who I am?" asked Thalia, confused.

"Fenrir is known to at least half the students here," replied Dumbledore. "The fear your father creates is great and his ferociousness is not made up. It's one of the reasons Voldemort uses him as a weapon."

"Why does he side with him though?" asked Thalia quietly.

"Fenrir hates humans, muggle and wizard alike," said Dumbledore, his tone bordering on sad. "I believe Voldemort has promised your father victims and the chance for werewolves to have some sort of power if he wins."

"You don't believe that?"

"No," said Dumbledore. "Voldemort would never give up any power he gains, especially to werewolves or half-breeds. He despises them just as much as muggles and people that oppose him. If he wins, he will turn his attention to the half-breeds of this world and have them wiped out next."

"It doesn't leave me with much choice then, does it?" said Thalia, slumping in the chair.

"No, I'm afraid not," said Dumbledore sadly. "You do still have a choice though."

"I've already made it," said Thalia tensely. "I told you."

"You don't seem so certain about your choice," noted Dumbledore.

"No, I'm not," Thalia admitted. "This is new territory and I don't know what's going to happen but I'll see it through. I'd rather do something then stay here while stuff goes on out there. I don't want to wonder what if."

It turned silent and Dumbledore nodded, getting to his feet and walking towards the window. Thalia remained where she was, watching him. From where she sat she could see a cloudless sky and the edge of the moon which made her shiver and turn away. It was nearing fullness and even now, she could feel a slight pull at the sight of it.

"What of your father?"

Thalia didn't look at Dumbledore, keeping her eyes on his desk. Even though he wasn't looking she shrugged. "What of him?"

"There's a contradiction," the headmaster pointed out. "You don't want to be with him but you don't want to betray him either, despite already having done that."

"Not entirely," said Thalia.

"Why?"

The single worded question made her look up but Dumbledore still wasn't look at her. Suddenly feeling uncertain, she got to her feet and walked to the opposite side of the room, wanting to be as far from Dumbledore and the moon as she could possible get in this room.

"I don't know," came the tiny whisper.

"The Order of the Phoenix will need your trust just as much as your need theirs," said Dumbledore, turning on the spot. "You've already told me much about you. There's nothing left for you to protect."

"Despite everything," said Thalia heavily, gazing at the floor. "He's still my father. I've tried hating him for all he's done, not just to me, but to other people too but I don't. I can't."

"Most people don't understand your point of view on Fenrir and they never will," said Dumbledore. "No child wants to admit that they're parents are monsters or bad people. Most grow up to be just like them though."

"Are you saying I'll grow up to be like my father?" said Thalia, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"Only if you choose to. A child should not have to protect their parents," said Dumbledore, stepping forward. "The parents are supposed to protect their child."

"Yes, well, life isn't always fair," snapped Thalia, moving towards the door.

"Miss Greyback?"

Thalia stopped instantly at the murmur of her name but she didn't turn around. Whatever he had to say couldn't be good, so she stayed facing the door, wanting to be on the other side of it.

"Professor Lupin's office is upstairs on the third floor at the end of the fourth corridor. He'll be expecting you before sunset. Make sure you're there."

Relief flooded through as the words were unexpected but Thalia managed a stiff nod before opening the door and leaving, slowly making her way back to the hospital room which was the same as when she had left; empty. Returning to her bed, she sat down and leaned against the headboard, her arms flopping uselessly over her leg. Dumbledore's words repeated through her head and before she could stop them, tears burned the backs of her eyes and fell down her cheek, dripping onto the blanket.

With a vicious swipe, she wiped the tear away, lightly scratching her skin with her nail. The pain in her cheek throbbed but for the moment, she enjoyed it. It was much better than anything else she felt right now.

When the torches dimmed, she lay down, facing towards the double doors. Deep down, she knew Dumbledore was right. She did have a choice and for the moment, she decided to help him and his little group but she did wonder if maybe there was a third choice.


	6. Chapter 6

Warning: Chapter contains sexual content.

* * *

Chapter Six

As soon as she left the hospital wing and reached the end of the corridor, she saw students. A group of them were coming towards her and walked passed, crowding themselves around a girl with a bleeding nose. Only two of them turned to stare at her as they passed looks of curiosity on their faces. Thalia came to a stop and watched as they entered the hospital wing together.

When out of sight, she turned back in the other direction and kept walking. Before long, it ended and she saw staircases that seemed to go up quite high and some of them were moving. Slowly, she went upstairs and at reaching the third floor, she walked down three corridors, ignoring all stares and soon stopped at a brown door that read; Defence Against the Dark Arts.

Thalia frowned and looked down up and down the corridor. There were no other doors and she followed Dumbledore's vague directions. Without knocking, she pushed the door open and stepped inside. It was a classroom. Three rows of desks and chairs lined the floor space, an iron chandelier hung from the ceiling along with a dragon's skeleton. Four large windows sat high up along the walls and a few from the door sat a projector, pointing at a white screen that had been pulled over the blackboard.

Her bare feet padded softly against the wooden floor as she walked in, stopping in the middle. Other than herself, there was no one here but soft noises came from somewhere upstairs. Towards the back far corner a stone staircase caught her attention. It led to a solid brown door, with Remus' name in gold letters, which was closed. As a small chill ran through her, Thalia looked away, wrapping her arms around her torso. She was unsure of what to do.

"Hello, Miss Greyback."

Thalia turned sharply at the voice which came from upstairs. Their eyes met but Thalia quickly broke the contact and shifted nervously.

"Come on up," he said with a small gesture. "It's more comfortable."

Thalia nodded and moved quietly in between the desks and walked up the stairs. Remus stood back, letting her in first and followed, closing the door behind them and locking it with his wand. She took a few steps in, wanting distance between her and Remus and she glanced around the room. The stone fireplace crackled with life as the orange flames burned in the crate, a wooden desk sat metres from it stacked with books as did the bookshelf against the wall behind it. The glass cabinet stood in the corner, filled with skulls and in front of a long window, sat a tank containing a single fish.

"Take a seat, Miss Greyback," said Remus kindly, indicating the three chairs in the room. "You'll be here until sun rise."

"Do you think you could call me Thalia?" she asked, taking a seat in the chair beside the fireplace.

"Sure," said Remus with a nod. "Is something bothering you?"

"No," lied Thalia, avoiding his eye. "I'm just tired."

Remus nodded but said nothing, moving to sit at his desk. The shuffling of parchment reached her ears but she didn't look over. The scratching of a quill followed it. Knowing that his attention was elsewhere, Thalia glanced outside the window across the room. The sky was an orange haze that continued to fade with each passing minute.

Worry settled in the pit of her stomach as she looked to the horizon. This would be the first transformation without her father and the thought scared her a little. The familiar scent and warmth of his large body against hers was, right now, something missed. Each month it had been a source of comfort but now that was gone, replaced by a man she hardly knew and who acted human.

"You don't have to just sit there," said Remus softly, interrupting her train of thought. "There are books if you want something to do."

Thalia remained silent but shook her head. She heard Remus sigh lightly but no other question came. When the scratching of the quill on the parchment restarted she looked up at him. His brown wizard robes were shabby, patches covering it in different places of where it had been darned and he looked ill and exhausted, even more so than when she'd met him a week ago. Wayward strands of his light brown hair lingered over his eyes as he worked.

Thalia wondered how he could be so calm and do work just before the full moon. "Were you born a werewolf?"

The quill stopped dead and Remus looked up at the question, meeting her eye. An expression of surprise flashed across his face but it disappeared quickly. He set the quill down and laid his arms across the desk, clasping his hands together.

"No, I was bitten," he answered, his voice very quiet but steady.

"What happened?"

"I was six years old," said Remus openly. "My father had a particularly vicious argument with a werewolf and I was bitten in retaliation."

"Do you know who he was?" asked Thalia, leaning on the arm rest, peering at him curiously.

In a second Remus' face turned to one of hesitation and his features tensed as though the answer was painful. "It was your father."

"Oh," was all Thalia could say, lowering her eyes.

"At first I thought it was just a moment of chance," continued Remus. "That he couldn't control himself and it was just an accident but years later I learned what really happened. My parents tried everything but there was no cure. They feared I would be alone and never have much of an opportunity in life."

"Where are they now?"

"Dead," said Remus simply. "They passed away when I was sixteen. Most of the things that went on during my school year remained a secret to them but they were proud when I attended Hogwarts. They thought I wouldn't be allowed to go but Dumbledore made it possible."

"How did you support yourself?"

"Do you know of Harry Potter?" asked Remus slowly. At Thalia's nod he continued. "His father, James, supported me. After his death I did muggle jobs. I don't prefer it but at least being a werewolf doesn't affect it nearly as much."

Thalia scoffed heavily under her breath. "You must hate me then," she said, answering Remus' questioning look.

"No," said Remus after a deep breath. "I may dislike Fenrir a great deal but years have passed. Holding a grudge against him will solve nothing. And I've never had any ill feelings towards you. I know the difference between you and him."

"Yeah…" breathed Thalia.

She looked back out the window and the sun was just about gone, only an orange light spilling upwards. Thalia sighed and worry etched into the lines of her young face. Remus followed her line of sight and looked at her again, seeming to understand.

"You've never really been without him, have you?"

"He's all I've really known."

"You don't like talking about him, do you?"

"Been talking to Dumbledore about me?" asked Thalia, raising an eyebrow at him.

"You're avoiding the subject again," Remus pointed out.

Thalia exhaled heavily and folded her arms over her chest, choosing to look at the opposite wall which was blank stone. She was sick of hearing the same words about her reluctance over and over again.

"There's nothing I can tell you about him that you don't already know."

"I disagree."

Thalia thought for a moment. "You answer my questions and I'll tell you what you everything you want to know about my father. Deal?"

"Deal," said Remus without taking the time to think about it.

"Does Dumbledore regard everybody with the same scrutiny?" asked Thalia, meeting Remus' eye.

"Scrutiny?" questioned Remus. "What do you mean?"

"The first day I met Dumbledore, he had this look on his face. His eyes showed kindness but in the back of my mind I wondered if it was fake, a trick in order to get me to talk. Does he treat all strangers the same?"

"Complete strangers he's open with, like with you," said Remus. "Dumbledore is friendly with most people but for people he knows to be untrustworthy, he stays weary. You think he dislikes you?"

"I think it's more than dislike," said Thalia. "I think you've spent too much time around humans. It's dimmed your senses."

Remus gave a tiny smile at the comment. "I think you haven't spent enough time with humans."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that being with the pack all your life has turned you paranoid," said Remus calmly. "You don't even trust other werewolves outside the pack and that's all your father's doing. Growing up he taught you that humans, muggles and wizards alike are the enemy, didn't he?

"My questions aren't over yet," whispered Thalia. "Have you lived in a pack before?"

"Yes," said Remus simply.

"Hmm…" Thalia hummed, getting the impression that it wasn't something Remus wanted to elaborate on. "Earlier I spoke with Dumbledore and I agreed to help. Do you know what will happen?"

"I'm sure he's informed you," said Remus quietly. "But he'll have you meet the Order and you'll be brought up to date with everything we know and we'll expect to be informed of everything you know. That's what will happen to start with." There was a short pause. "The full moon will be here soon. If there's anything you need to do you should do it now."

Thalia didn't move other than to shake her head. "How many people in this Order?"

"Quite a few."

"Is Harry Potter one of them?" asked Thalia quickly.

"Yes."

"Is he here? At the school now?"

"Yes," repeated Remus. "And you'll meet him. I'm surprised you've even heard of him."

"The entire wizarding world has heard of him," retorted Thalia. "Just because I live with a pack on the outskirts of all civilisation doesn't mean I haven't heard of him. Father would often return to the pack angry and frustrated. Usually he'd take it out on one of us and sometimes he'd mention a name as though that's the person he was beating. Harry's name has come up a couple times."

As the silence returned, Remus put the quill into its holder and got to his feet, moving towards the window. With a gentle push of his hand, it opened, letting in a cool breeze. Thalia's eyes closed at the sudden feel of it, taking a deep breath. It was the first fresh air she'd had in a week. It was more than welcome.

"Do you think it's possible?"

The question made Remus stop and turn to face her, jamming both hands into his pockets. "What do you mean?"

"The end of the war? The death of… him," stumbled Thalia, not wanting to say his name.

"I believe so," said Remus, his head tilting slightly. "It won't be easy by any stretch of the imagination and lives will most likely be lost but there's always hope if there are people willing to fight."

"Yeah…" breathed Thalia.

A heavy thud against the floor startled her and she looked across the room. Remus had fallen to his knees, gasping in pain. Thalia frowned and looked outside. She yelped loudly and lurched out of her chair as it struck. She hissed as she breathed in deeply, holding an arm around her waist while the other held her up off the floor. The full moon was rising and it tugged at her skin, pulling and breaking it apart. The tearing of fabric filled her ears as she felt her body length and claws emerge from her hands. A scream came from her as pain erupted through her transforming body. The sound turned into an animalistic growl but once the change was complete, the sound disappeared, leaving the space quiet, nothing but light scratching against the floor.

* * *

Faded grey morning light spilled in through the open window, hitting the two bodies on the floor. One of them moved, groaning with the effort it took to shift across to the other side. The slender feminine body soon came into contact with another. It was warm and barely clothed just like hers.

A guttural moan reached her and she looked up. He was awake but only just. His eyes fluttered rapidly but remained closed; his mouth was open, sucking in as much air as he could at once and his brown robe covered his lower half, leaving his chest exposed. Moving close, she nuzzled against his body, burying her nose into his neck, drinking in his scent. It was milder than her father's but just as intoxicating.

Carefully, she placed her hand on his chest, relishing in the heated warmth of his skin. The scars under her fingertips felt raw and new and she traced over them gently, smiling at the groan that escaped him. Tilting her head, she pressed her lips to his neck and pressed her body snuggly against his.

"Thalia…"

Her hand wandered down, disappearing underneath the shabby brown robe that covered him poorly. At the first touch, his hips bucked lightly. Her fingers wrapped around his organ, gently tugging at the skin. After six long, slow strokes, she swiped her thumb over the slit, spreading the precome that had built up. A strangled moan followed her actions.

In a feeble attempt, Remus attempted to slide over, away from her grasp but he failed, hitting the legs of the desk. Thalia threw her leg over his body, rubbing her groin against his leg, like a dog in heat. The small kisses against his neck continued and soon the room was filled with moans from both of them, gaining in intensity with each prod.

Dizzy with pleasure, Remus reached down, removing the brown robe off his body and wrapped his fingers around hers encouragingly. With her free hand she entangled her fingers Remus' brown locks, coaxing his head to the side so she could crush their lips together. She plunged her tongue inside his mouth, exploring everything she could reach.

An orgasm rippled through her and she quickly slowed her body, concentrating on getting the man beside her to follow suit. Her hand worked furiously over his hard length. When she broke the kiss, Remus grunted heavily, his eyes shooting open as his orgasm hit, the blue orbs connecting with her grey ones, both of which were darkened with lust.

The noises in the room soon vanished, replaced with the sounds of morning and birds chirping nearby. Thalia removed her hand from Remus and wiped off the evidence of what just happened onto the brown robe Remus had thrown off him only moments ago. After tossing the soiled robe from her, she placed her arm across Remus' chest possessively and closed her eyes, not caring about the consequences and it wasn't long before sleep claimed both of them.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

A mask of worry highlighted Thalia's face as she stood beside another just outside the gates of Hogwarts. The tall iron gates closed with a heavy clang before a shimmer of magic ran down each column before vanishing. It made her sigh and when she finally looked away, her eyes moving into the trees that surrounded them. They were overgrown and the inside looked dark, making her skin turn cold, or perhaps it was just the breeze that picked up.

Before she could let her mind run away with her imagination about all the things that were in the dark, waiting for her, a small rustling noise beside her caught her attention. Remus pulled a piece of parchment from inside his brown robe and folded it over again, holding onto it securely. In his other hand he held his wand, which made her slightly nervous as to what it was for and why they were standing out here so late at night.

Sick of the silence, she opened her mouth to ask but Remus beat her to it. "We're going to headquarters for the Order. You're about to meet everyone and spill your guts about what you know. Ready?"

"Spill my guts?" asked Thalia, raising an eyebrow.

Remus looked away, only chuckling in response.

"I suppose," said Thalia, shrugging. "Where are we going exactly?"

"Take my arm and you'll find out," said Remus, holding out his left arm.

Thalia eyed it wearily but didn't question it. Without another word, she reached up and took hold and instantly they left. Everything went black. Pressure built from all sides and little air got through. A shattering noise echoed straight through her ear-drums and before she knew it, they had arrived, back into an extensive space with plenty of breathable air around them.

When realising her hand was still on his arm moments after arriving, Thalia jerked it off, feeling a little embarrassed. But if Remus noticed, he didn't say anything. He only handed the piece of parchment from before towards her and she took it, opening it slowly. It only contained twelve words.

"_The Order of the Phoenix can be found at twelve Grimmauld Place."_

"What-"

A sudden yelp escaped her as it parchment burst into flames, vanishing into thin air. Her eyes quickly met Remus' but from the look on his face, she held back her questions. She watched as Remus stepped through the creaky iron gate and up the grubby concrete steps to a bulky black door that stood closed. He tapped it lightly with his wand and several metallic clicks followed it.

At the noise, Thalia jumped back a few steps, stopping in the middle of the empty street. The front door scraped open and Remus turned to face her, gesturing for her to join him. Swallowing hard, Thalia approached and made her way up the stairs. Remus went inside and with hesitations, she followed.

At passing the landing, a stale stench hit her nose, making her recoil. It opened into a long hallway, lit by a large chandelier and gas lamps that lined the walls. The dark wallpaper was peeling, bits of it littering the already dirty carpeted floor. A troll-leg umbrella stand stood beside the door, half full of umbrellas. Near the end of the hallways, a movement caught Thalia's eye. A small house-elf walked across a long curtain that hung down the wall and underneath a row of mounted elf heads on the wall.

"Come on," whispered Remus.

They walked to the very end and descended down a narrow staircase. It ended at a cavernous room with a large fireplace at one end that roared with life and a long wooden table in the centre at which many people sat around. The chatter from seconds ago vanished and all eyes went to them.

Thalia stepped behind Remus as the staring continued, not wanting to be seen. Peering around her, she saw Dumbledore and he got to his feet and approached two of them. Whispered words went around the table but when Dumbledore turned to face them, they stopped.

"I know this meeting was called abruptly and I thank you all for being here," began Dumbledore. "Tonight, we have new business that needs to be taken care of. As some of you know, a couple of weeks ago Hogwarts received a new guest and she's here tonight, ready to help us in whatever way she can. Thalia, come here please."

Instantly, Thalia shook her head but Remus stepped aside, tugging at her arm. At Dumbledore's side, she glanced over everyone that sat before her but she took nothing in. It was a blur as fear pulsed through her body, making her feel as though her vision was swimming.

"This is Thalia Greyback," said Dumbledore clearly. "She is Fenrir's daughter and she has agreed to share her information as well as help us with some of the larger werewolf packs in Britain. Now, before you ask, yes, trust will be an issue for some but I believe we shouldn't judge people we do not know. And she has my trust."

"Alright," breathed Remus, stepping forward. "Perhaps you should meet everyone. We'll go around the table. You can get to know them later." Thalia watched as Remus started at the front to the left and went all around the table. "Kingsley Shacklebolt, Nymphadora Tonks, Sirius Black, Arthur Weasley, his wife Molly and their children, Bill and his wife, Fleur, Fred, George and Ron, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall, Alastor Moody and Mundungus Fletcher."

After the quick introduction, Remus took a light hold of her arm and led her to empty spaces at the table between Hermione and Severus and at the same time, they sat down. Thalia glanced at the girl beside her. Hermione gave a timid but friendly smile. Not wanting to seem rude, she returned it, looking away as Dumbledore began to talk once more.

"Kingsley, how are things at the Ministry?"

"Not good," replied the dark skinned wizard, his voice deep and soothing. "Pius is missing. No one in his department seem to know his location. It's assume he's been captured or killed."

"All departments are freaking out," interjected Nymphadora. "There's been talk about a traitor at the Ministry. Even some of the Aurors are worried about an uprising."

"I do hope it doesn't come to that," said Dumbledore bleakly. "Remus, have you gotten anywhere?"

"No," sighed Remus. "I've been trying to get inside for years now and I haven't made any headway. But perhaps with Thalia, our luck will change."

At the mention of her name, Thalia gave him a sideways glance before glancing down at the table, feeling unable to meet anyone's eye. Under the table, she wringed her hands together but no more mention was made. The conversation moved on.

"The horcruxes, Harry?" said Dumbledore quietly.

"No," replied Harry. "Hermione thinks there's a lead on another one. We're going to check it out in a few days."

"Any news from Romania?" asked Dumbledore.

Thalia looked up to see who he was speaking to. It was Bill. The tall red-head, leaned on the table, clasping his hands together in a casual manner, ignoring the long locks of red hair that fell over his shoulder gracefully. Thalia watched him through narrowed eyes. His scarred face bared a familiar resemblance.

"Charlie wrote last week," he answered. "He hasn't gotten any help yet either. Most of the wizards there would like to stay out of the war, especially since they're not even here while it's going on. He says he'll keep trying though."

"Good," said Dumbledore slowly. "Well, I suppose that ends it. Harry, we should talk a little more about this trip of yours."

Members of the Order stirred. Some filed slowly from the room while a few remained behind, talking in pairs or small groups or getting food from the fridge as Molly seemed to be doing. The scent near her disappeared and Thalia turned her head, seeing Remus walk over to Nymphadora, engaging her in conversation.

Suddenly, Thalia felt exposed and stepped towards the door, hoping leave unnoticed. Once up the stairs, she made her way past the hanging curtain and past the elf heads that were mounted on the wall and found the back door. She pushed it open and rushed outside, breathing the cool night air in deeply.

* * *

In the backyard, Thalia approached a pile of bricks that had no business being there and sat on top of it. A slight breeze had picked up and while it lasted, Thalia made a mental note to enjoy it. Since running away she'd spent most of her time inside and it was becoming unnerving. For most of her life, she'd lived outside with the pack.

When the back door creaked open, Thalia turned her head unhurried, thinking it was the wind. But it wasn't. Hermione stood there, her long red coat swaying lightly in the breeze. Looking a little nervous, she walked down the steps and stop a few feet away from her.

"Can I join you?"

"Sure," said Thalia, shifting over on the pile of bricks.

"Thanks," said Hermione, sitting down beside her. "You sure couldn't get out of there fast enough."

Thalia nodded at the statement. "Just when I thought I'd gotten away without being seen." They shared a smile. "So, how do you fit into the Order?"

"I go to school with Harry," she said clearly. "Been friends since our first year at Hogwarts."

"Are you finished yet?"

"No, we're in our last year now," she replied. "We had been planning to leave and search for the horcruxes but that didn't quite pan out. Sorry, I don't know why I'm telling you everything."

"You're not allowed to?" asked Thalia.

"I could but I shouldn't," rephrased Hermione. "I just wanted to meet you properly since the introduction inside was very quick. Did you like it at Hogwarts?"

"I guess," said Thalia, with a shrug. "I mainly only saw a few corridors and the hospital wing. Seemed nice from what I saw though."

Suddenly, the back door opened with a cracking bang, making both Thalia and Hermione jump. They both looked over and a familiar figure stood in the doorway. Remus stood there, his shabby robes swaying in the breeze, his face showing concern with wide, searching eyes.

"There you are!" he exclaimed, sauntering down the steps. "I looked all over the house for you. For a moment I thought you'd left. What are you doing out here?"

"I just needed a little air," she replied, confusion sweeping across her face. "Do you really think I'd just leave?"

"No," said Remus. "Hermione, I think Molly could just an extra set of hands. Would you mind?"

"Not at all," she said, getting the hint. "It was nice meeting you."

"Likewise," said Thalia with a small smile.

Hermione turned and walked across the grass and disappeared into the house, leaving the two werewolves alone. Thalia felt her stomach tighten when he sat down in the spot Hermione had just vacated and his scent hit her. It made the memories of a week ago flood her mind.

"Not intentionally anyway," continued Remus , clasping his hands together in his lap. "Is something wrong? You know you can talk to me. We're in a similar boat. I'm not going to judge you."

Thalia hung her head and looked down at her feet which she swung back and forth, liking how it skimmed the grass around the edges of the brick. There was something she wanted to ask, well, there were a couple things actually, but both of them weren't comfortable subjects.

"Is it… wrong to miss my father?"

"No," said Remus quietly. "It's hard being away from someone you've spent your entire life with, no matter who they are. You don't want to go back to him, do you?"

"No," said Thalia, after a moment's thought. "I don't think so. Even if I did, I'd probably be beaten to death for leaving in the first place."

"You think he would do that?" asked Remus curiously.

"Yes," said Thalia instantly. "He doesn't need much of a reason to kill anyone, not even his own children."

"What do you mean?"

"Didn't Dumbledore tell you?" said Thalia slowly, frowning slightly. "I'm not an only child. I had a brother but he was born human so father killed him. I also had a sister who was born human but I took her away from there. Don't know where she is now though, not that it matters."

Silence fell between them and Remus finally took his eyes off her, looking towards the back fence that leaned out into the yard beyond. Thuds and clangs came from inside the house and Thalia turned to look but Remus ignored it.

"Remus… about what hap-"

"We never did finish our conversation from the other night," interrupted Remus. "We made a deal, remember?"

"Is that why you sent Hermione away? To talk about that?" asked Thalia slowly.

"You don't know her," said Remus. "And I think-"

"I don't really know you either," interrupted Thalia.

"Stop changing the topic and answer the question," said Remus firmly.

Thalia sighed heavily and felt a twinge of frustration. It had been a week since the full moon and what had transpired between them but still, nothing had been said. Every time she'd tried to bring it up, this happened. Deciding the go along with the older werewolf's plan, she nodded slowly.

"Yes, I remember."

"Do you have any more questions?"

"Not right now," said Thalia softly, knowing what was coming. "Are you going to ask all about my father now?"

"Later," said Remus. "After dinner, some of the Order will remain behind and I'll ask you then so you don't have to keep repeating yourself. Alright?"

"Can't I just tell you and you tell them?"

"No," said Remus with a chuckle. "Because you'll have to learn about the Order so you'll need to be there. There won't be as many people as last time, I promise. Now, come on, it's time to eat."

"Uh… couldn't I skip it?" said Thalia quickly, feeling her heart speed up at the thought of going back inside with all those strangers.

Remus turned his head and regarded her for a long moment. She didn't meet his eye. "Alright," he said eventually. "You can eat later if you wish. Just don't go far, alright?"

Thalia nodded and watched as Remus got to his feet and walked towards the house, disappearing into the darkness. Finally alone, Thalia breathed deeply and got to her feet, walking to the back fence. With curiosity she peered over but there was nothing to see except a quiet, empty street.

The thoughts of her father returned and she looked up into the night sky. She went over her words with Remus. Did she want to be back with her father despite what might happen? Whether she had lied to him or not she wasn't sure.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

As soon as she entered through the back door, the noise from the kitchen hit. It had only been an hour but from the loud bangs of plates and cutlery, she guessed dinner must be over. The knowledge that she had to tell them something weighed on her heavily. She felt as though she hadn't lied. She knew nothing of the dark wizard's plans or even the humans that were on his side.

The door creaked open and all conversation and cleaning halted, turning the room silent as when she first arrived. A brief feeling of anger swelled in her chest but she pushed it down as she walked to the table and sat beside Remus, who kept his eyes on her the entire time. When she settled, the moment passed and the conversations restarted albeit a little quieter.

But no words reached her as blood rushed loudly through her ears, making her deafened to everything else. As the sound of running water and scratching reached her, she turned her head. The pots and pans in the sink moved unaided as they cleaned themselves before moving onto the dish drainer to dry. When she finally looked away, she glanced at the table.

Most of the people she'd seen an hour ago were still here but a few people were missing, notably a few of the red-heads. There weren't as many as last time. Other noticeable missing persons was Dumbledore and Severus. She scanned the room twice but there was no sign of them. She frowned but was unsure as to why the knowledge made her uncomfortable.

A gasp of surprise escaped her lips as a hand pressed against her back. "It'll be alright."

Thalia turned her head. Her eyes met Remus' blue ones briefly. They were full of concern and kindness. Choosing to look away and nod, she shifted in her seat, feeling suddenly uncomfortable. It seemed Remus took the hint and removed his hand from her back, moving it into his lap.

The kitchen door opened and the tall figures of Dumbledore and Severus walked in, the latter taking a seat near the end of the table, not saying a word while the former, stopped at the top, standing tall, his hands clasped in front of him, waiting for something which didn't take long. Silence filled the room and all eyes turned on him.

"You understand what will happen, Miss Greyback?" said Dumbledore quietly. Thalia looked up and met his eye but said nothing. "We will tell you everything we know and you will do the same."

"Yes," said Thalia, nodding. "I know."

Thalia glanced around as the room seemed to darken and it turned so silent, not even the breathing of the people around her could be heard. She watched as Dumbledore stared at her, his blue eyes passive, showing no emotion. When he spoke, his voice was calm but low, giving away nothing.

"At the end of 1926 a young woman from a broken family gave birth to a son that she named Tom Marvolo Riddle. Just before his eleventh birthday I met the young boy, who lived in a muggle orphanage, and told him of his heritage. It took a little convincing but he believed me after I showed him magic. This boy grew into become Lord Voldemort, creating the new name to spare himself the reminder of his muggle name.

"Over the years, Tom has allied himself with people who have the same views, want part of the glory or ones that sought protection from their own weakness. Despite his hatred for them he also requested help from others who were willing to give their assistance. And by others, I mean half-breeds. I am of the belief that once Tom has what he wants, the half-breeds will experience a quick and sharp demise and then the muggles of the world will suffer."

Dumbledore paused as he took a step towards the table and leaned forwards, resting his palms flat on the table, his blue eyes still on Thalia. "For years I and others here have attempted to bring him and his followers down. We've had successes here and there but so has Tom. We need something more and right now, we'll take anything. Now, I believe you can help us but you have to be open and honest about everything. If you have questions, ask them now."

Thalia cleared her throat. "Do you want the werewolf packs to fight on your side or what? What do you want from them?"

"We only want them to stand down," said Remus, who shifted in his seat beside her. "We don't want them fighting with us but we don't want them siding with Voldemort either. We want them to stay out of it."

"Why?" asked Thalia, looking at him. "Why wouldn't you want them fighting on your side?"

"Most werewolves don't live with humans and don't care to," said Remus, giving her a knowing look. "So most wouldn't want to help us anyway, but we believe there's a chance to dissuade them from joining the other side."

"Who are his followers?" Thalia asked next.

"They're called Death Eaters," answered Moody in a gruff voice across from her. "It primarily consists of wizards and witches who are pure-blood supremacists and who practice the Dark Arts without regard or fear of Wizarding law. When you see one you'll know it. You can't miss the black robes and snake eyed masks that cover their cowardly faces."

"And what other beings does he have working for him?"

"We only know of a few," answered Sirius, who sat beside Harry on the other side of the table. "He has an alliance of giants, goblins at the wizard bank and a few vampires, but how many we've been unable to tell. He also has use of Inferi."

"What are Inferi?" asked Thalia instantly.

"They are corpses," said Sirius. "Dead bodies that have been reanimated by a dark wizard. They have no free will and cannot think for themselves; their purpose is merely to serve as puppets of the dark wizard who reanimated them. Voldemort used them in the first war against us and we're sure he'll use them again."

Thalia nodded slowly as she took the information in. "I only have one more question. What is a horcrux?"

"Very dark magic," answered Kingsley, his deep voice drawing her attention up the table. The dark-skinned wizard leaned forward, his vivid purple robes moving with his body. "It's an object in which a dark wizard or witch has hidden a fragment of their soul for the purpose of attaining immortality. Creating a horcrux is considered dark magic of the most evil kind. It violates the laws of nature and morality and requires a horrific act such as murder to accomplish."

"And how many are there?"

"We do not know how many he has created," said Dumbledore. "Anyone in history that created one only made one. The process of makes the part of the soul remaining unstable. We know of three but have only destroyed two."

"How many do you think there are?"

"I do not know," replied Dumbledore. "If I know Tom as well as I think, there could be as many as seven. Harry may have a lead on a fourth. The third is still out of reach as its location is unknown."

"And what are those objects?" asked Thalia, still wanting more.

"So far, a diary and a ring have been destroyed," said Dumbledore. "We think the third is a locket and the other a goblet."

"Why would he choose those objects?"

"In theory, a horcrux can be anything but Tom has so far chosen to use objects of great significance or importance. The diary belonged to Tom and the Ring belonged to his grandfather. The locket belonged to his ancestor, Salazar Slytherin and the goblet belonged to Helga Hufflepuff."

"Who are those people?" said Thalia, her voice edging on irritated.

"Two of the founders of Hogwarts," said Dumbledore patiently. "The others are Godric Gryffindor and Rowena Ravenclaw. I believe he took something that once belonged to both of them as well but I cannot be sure what yet."

The room turned quiet and Thalia bowed her head, shielding her eyes from everyone. The information she had felt overwhelming and she didn't know where to begin to start sorting through all of it. The scraping of chair legs sounded and Thalia looked up. Dumbledore had pulled out a chair and sat down, his eyes still on her.

"Tell us what you know."

The voice was calm yet demanding. Thalia nodded slowly and placed her hands under the table, wringing her fingers together as she thought quickly. The words describing a horcrux echoed in her mind and slowly, she looked up to meet Dumbledore's stare.

"Tell me… what does this goblet look like?" she asked slowly.

"Why?" asked Dumbledore suspiciously.

"I may have seen it," said Thalia quickly.

"Describe to me the object you saw," said Dumbledore.

"It was a small golden cup with two finely-wrought handles with a badger engraved on the side and what looked to be a few jewels," said Thalia, looking down at the table to avoid distraction.

When she looked up, she saw Dumbledore raise a hand to stroke his long beard. "Where did you see it?"

"It was at a house," said Thalia, shrugging. "I've only been there once. I was with my father and he said he had to make a stop. We apparated to a big house on a quiet street. We went inside and I stayed in the hallway near the front door. A group of four people passed through and one of them passed something to the only woman in the group. She held the object up and it was then I saw what it was."

"What did this woman look like?" asked Harry quickly, leaning forwards.

Thalia took her eyes off Dumbledore and look at the other side, meeting Harry's wide green eyes. "She was tall with long black hair, pale skin. She was wearing a tattered black dress that dragged along the floor behind her. It was the first time I'd seen her and I haven't seen her since."

"Bellatrix…" muttered Sirius.

"What else do you have to tell us?" said Dumbledore, ignoring the few whispers that followed.

Thalia shrugged again. "I doubt there's anything," she said, looking back at the elderly wizard. "As I told you, I never went to meetings, father rarely told me anything that was going on and I never asked and most things I do know would be insignificant and useless to you."

"Does your father attend meetings?" asked Hermione, who sat beside Harry.

"Yes," said Thalia. "With… him… he goes every couple weeks or so. The other werewolves, he meets on a regular basis, once a week, a few times at most."

"Have you ever gone along?" asked Remus.

"Twice," said Thalia. "The first time was just to meet a new pack and the second was to give the leader an offering for an alliance."

"What was the offering?" asked Remus, his voice lowering in volume.

"It doesn't matter," whispered Thalia, her voice tense. "We got the alliance. The leader of that pack, we should avoid. He'll want too much in return and I doubt anything he wants would be something you're prepared to give."

"How do we know you're not hiding anything?"

Thalia turned her head to look further down the table. The red-head that spoke looked at her with a malicious expression, his blue eyes blazing with a hatred that was beyond familiar to her. She gazed back, deciding he deserved some sort of answer.

"I guess you'll just have to take my word for it," said Thalia. "If I lie, it won't take long for it to be exposed, I'm sure."

"And we're just supposed to believe that you're not like your father?" said Ron viciously. "He's a monster and my bet is that you are too."

"Ron…"

"I'm sure killing and maiming runs in the family!" he spat.

"Ronald Weasley, that's enough!" said Molly, getting to her feet.

"That will be all for tonight," said Dumbledore. "Miss Greyback, if something else comes to mind, I'm sure Remus won't hesitate in sharing the information. Goodnight all."

The farewell was returned by a few and went unnoticed by others. Noisily, Remus got to his feet, taking Thalia with him, his grip on her arm tight. Together they left the room and headed upstairs to the third floor. At the end of the dark corridor they entered into a bedroom, the door closing behind them.

"What did Ron mean by-"

"I think you should get some sleep," said Remus, cutting her off.

Thalia watched the other werewolf. He moved stiffly but she couldn't apprehend the reason for it. Remus walked across the room fluidly, picking up a couple of books off the floor, wrenching the grey curtains shut and moving to the bed, folding the blankets back. Biting her bottom lip nervously, Thalia stepped towards Remus, taking in a deep breath, wanting a whiff of his scent.

Slowly, she approached. At his side, she touched his arm, making him turn to look at her. Blue eyes met grey and both held their breath as time seemed suspended. Thalia's mouth fell open as the scent she wanted flooded her senses. It didn't go unnoticed and the moment broke when he stepped back, putting space between them.

"Remus…"

"You should sleep," said Remus firmly, moving towards the door. "There's food in the kitchen if you get hungry and don't leave. It's not safe outside this house, except the backyard. And try to keep conversations minimal if you happen to run into anyone."

The door closed behind him before Thalia could get a word out. Her shoulders slumped in disappointment. All she wanted to talk about was what had happened between them and about what Ron had said concerning her downstairs but it was clear Remus didn't want to look at her let alone talk.


	9. Chapter 9

Warning: Chapter contains graphic sex scene. Male/Female. Bloodplay. Don't like, please don't read.

* * *

Chapter Nine

"Are you ready?"

The question brought Thalia from her thoughts and to the man standing beside her. Remus regarded her with concern but she gave him a smile and a brief nod.

"I think so," she replied, feeling the confidence of a few days ago vanishing.

It had come from her information leading them to trace Hufflepuff's cup to the Lestrange family but how they did it, she didn't know. It made her confident in the fact that she had gained the full protection she wanted. But now, a few days later, they were travelling to meet with one of the werewolf packs that Remus had been trying to infiltrate. Deep down, she felt sure that a new presence wouldn't be welcomed.

Without a word, Remus held his arm up and Thalia took it, knowing they were to apparate together. Instantly, they vanished from Grimmauld Place into a tight suction before appearing on the other side. Thalia glanced at their surroundings. Gigantic trees towered over them and the sun burned brightly overhead, giving the forest a warm glow. A pang of uneasiness spread through her chest.

Looking up, she searched Remus' face. His eyes remained staring ahead, into the trees. There was a look of concern but what it was for, she couldn't tell. There was no one here but them. Thalia turned to look at where Remus was staring but saw nothing but nature.

"What's wrong?" she asked in a quiet whisper.

But Remus didn't answer her. Instead, he pulled out two wands from his pocket; his own and hers. Silently, he handed it to her before fastening up his robe. Thalia swallowed hard as she took it, the object suddenly feeling foreign in her hand. Placing it down by her side, she waited, watching as Remus' features turned graver.

"Come on," he hushed, motioning for her to follow.

Feeling worse than before, Thalia followed, hoping that the feeling in her chest would go away. They walked through the trees, following the scents in the air and tracks that lay in the ground. Remus soon came to an abrupt stop, Thalia too after almost bumping into him. They entered a clearing where white and grey tents of different sizes were set up but there was something missing. There was no one around but the strong scent still remained.

Suddenly, Thalia came to a complete freeze. A figure stood in the trees, watching them. A breaking twig to the side turned her head and she saw another. Blindly, she groped behind her for Remus to get his attention. The figures came forward, leaving the safety of the trees and Thalia felt fear flood her senses.

"Remus…" she whispered harshly.

"Hold steady," said Remus, clutching her wandering hand.

A group of eight men came out and surrounded them easily, their wands directed at them. Thalia already knew they were werewolves. There was no denying the scent they all carried and shared. It was too strong. The moments passed in silence until eventually, the loose circle parted, letting an unseen member through. Thalia audibly gasped, catching Remus' questioning look.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here," said the male that stepped inside the circle. "It seems we have a couple of trespasses… but not just any trespasses, werewolf ones. What brings both of you all the way out here?"

Thalia turned her head, letting her hair fall in front of her face in a weak attempt to hide. Remus squeezed her hand before answering. "We wanted to speak with the leader."

"Well, you've found me," he said, extending his arms. "I am Lycaeus and who might you be?"

"Remus Lupin," he replied, pointing to himself. "And my companion, Thalia."

There was a pause. With a silent look behind them, an order went through and two men grabbed Remus and pulled him back, breaking his hold on Thalia's wrist. She jumped at the sudden loss, hissing through her teeth but she didn't move. Lycaeus approached, placing a hand under her chin and forcing her head up roughly. Her wide eyes met his gleaming ones. She hadn't been forgotten.

"Look who we have here, boys," said Lycaeus in a vicious tone. "Thalia Greyback. Fenrir's little girl."

Laughter spread among the group, fuelling the leaders enthusiasm. Thalia yanked her head out of his grip and took a step back, not wanting to be near him. With his smile remaining, Lycaeus looked over his men.

"Take Remus Lupin to a tent and lock him down there," he said loudly. "And take little Miss Greyback to my tent. We'll have a nice private chat."

"Remus!" she yelled as they were both dragged in opposite directions.

"Don't say anything!" he yelled back.

With a final, heaving shove, Thalia stumbled into the largest tent, sprawling down the few steps in front. She gasped loudly as the pain from the fall exuded in her side. When she got to her feet, she looked around. It was like any other magical tent; cramped looking on the outside and generously spacious inside. A white bear skin rug lay in the middle with three armchairs seated around it. On the other side were two room separated by a curtain; one being a study area and the other a bathroom.

Thalia stepped around the armchair closest and turned at the feeling of heat against her skin. A small fireplace crackled with life and Thalia moved a little closer to it, wanting to feel warmer. A sighed sounded as she watched the dancing orange flames. She was worried that things had gone horribly wrong already.

"I thought if I ever saw you again it would be with daddy dearest."

Thalia spun on her heel. Lycaeus stood at the entrance, the folds closing on their own accord. Their eyes met and Thalia raised an eyebrow, shrugging off his comment. He stepped further into the tent and Thalia stepped away, wanting to keep a good amount of distance between them.

"I had hoped never to see you again," said Thalia quietly.

"Really?" asked Lycaeus in mock surprise. "After all the fun we had last time."

"You mean all you the fun you had last time," snapped Thalia.

"I wasn't that mean to you," said Lycaeus, amused. "I'll treat you better this time. I promise."

Thalia just managed not to retch right in front of him. It wasn't because he was ugly or unattractive in anyway but it was because of what she knew about him. What he liked to do when alone. She didn't want a repeat of last time.

"I'm not here for another offering," said Thalia sharply. "Remus and I were sent to talk to you. Nothing more."

"Alright," said Lycaeus, plopping himself into one of the white leather armchairs. "Talk."

"Albus Dumbledore wants you and the other packs to back down," said Thalia in a firm but calm voice.

"Back down?" Lycaeus questioned, his eyebrows moving up.

"He doesn't want the werewolves to join with the dark lord," clarified Thalia. "He just wants them to stay out of it."

Lycaeus stroked his chin thoughtfully, his light brown eyes gleaming in the firelight. "You have a lot of nerve turning against your father," he said, looking her up and down.

"I had no choice," said Thalia, turning away. "I can't do what he does and he'll eventually kill me for it."

"He will if he catches you."

Thalia froze. The scent had moved closer and a warm body stood behind her. Arms wrapped around her waist, the fingers interlocking, holding her in place. The stubble across his jaw scrapped against her neck as he pressed his lips to the pale skin. A shiver passed through her and she placed both hands onto his, trying to push them off but it didn't work, making him chuckle lightly.

"If you want something from me, I'm gonna need something from you," Lycaeus whispered thickly into her ear. "Are you prepared to do this."

"Are you going to tell my father all about this?" questioned Thalia.

The presence of something hard pressed against her lower back, making her eyes fall shut in dread. "That depends," breathed Lycaeus. "If you agree to my terms then Fenrir need not know about his _personal_ slut running around with feral werewolves behind his back."

"What do you want?" asked Thalia.

"I control three packs in Britain," said Lycaeus. "Taking them out of the fight would lower the number significantly. But this will cost you."

"What do you want?" repeated Thalia, tightly, her jaw clenching.

"Something now and a promise of something later," said Lycaeus, licking the lobe of her ear.

"Just get to the point," hissed Thalia.

A yelp escaped Thalia's lips as Lycaeus shoved a hand between her legs and squeezed upwards, making her body jerk up and into his. The long fingers stroked her through the robes, stimulating interest. She pressed a hand against the one fondling her, trying to stop the movements of his fingers but it didn't work.

"Is that to the point enough for you?" murmured Lycaeus seductively.

"And the promise?" asked Thalia breathlessly.

The fingers at her groin slackened but remained where they were. "I want your father's head."

Thalia held her breath at those words. "What do you mean?"

"With Fenrir dead, I would be able to take his place and you'd get what you want," he said, his fingers restarting. "Us out of this war."

"Do you want to kill him?" asked Thalia uncertainly.

"I don't care who kills him," said Lycaeus harshly. "I just want him dead. Do you think you could arrange that?"

"It might take time," said Thalia slowly. "Will you keep out of this until then though?"

"If I get your word, yes," said Lycaeus, smiling against her skin.

A moment passed in near silence as Thalia thought it through. It was tempting. All she had to do was promise and Lycaeus and the packs he controlled would stay out of it completely. But at the knowledge of her father's death sealing it for good, made her want to say no and take the consequence but with Remus outside in the camp and the Order awaiting their return within a day or two, she nodded slowly.

"I promise," she said in a calm tone.

"Good girl," hissed Lycaeus.

The sound of ripping fabric signalled the deal had been made and at the rush of cold air against her skin, she shuddered, knowing what was about to happen. A thud sounded as Thalia hit the floor. Lycaeus knelt beside her, roughly turning her onto his back. Her arms splayed out to the sides, her hand meeting the torn black robe she'd just been wearing. Coursed hands ran along her ribs and she shivered at the light touch despite herself.

"Shame this is only going to happen once," said Lycaeus. "I would say Fenrir was a lucky man if it didn't make him a monster."

Lycaeus bent over and picked her up, carrying her over to a wooden desk. It was covered in parchment and a bottle of ink and a quill. He swung Thalia momentarily over his shoulder and used his free arm to clear the desk of its contents. He then threw her down onto the desk with a muffled cry. Their eyes met but Thalia soon broke the contact, not wanting to give him the satisfaction.

Keeping one hand on her bare stomach, the other unhooked her bra skilfully, throwing it over shoulder. The round orbs bounced free, the pink nipples hardening instantly as the cold air hit them. The black leather pants he wore tightened as his member jerked with interest. He kneaded them before reaching down to suck on one nipple. Thalia remained still, ignoring the obscene slurping that accompanied it.

After a muttered severing charm, the plain, white underwear snapped free, exposing her. He stepped back, looking at her in her full glory. The pale, naked flesh showed through well in the healthy light shining through the tent. Scars decorated her body, ranging in size and colour, the brightest ones the newest additions. On her abdomen, he ran his fingers over one extending four inches in length. It was the newest one he could see.

The fingers explored, continuing south. Instead of finding what he expected, he closed his eyes, feeling it instead of looking. The skin was smooth, no evidence of hair ever being there. When Lycaeus opened his eyes, he stroked Thalia's cheek, gaining her attention. The corners of his mouth started to turn up into a smirk.

"I'll bet Fenrir keeps you hairless," said Lycaeus knowingly. "Keep his little girl a… little girl."

"You're sick," whispered Thalia in disgust. "Besides, you've seen me before."

"Oh, I'm not the sick one sweetheart," said Lycaeus. "And last time, I didn't take much notice. I was too busy enjoying your blood."

Thalia swallowed her reply, turning her head away as Lycaeus began to undress. Heat rose off her body as his scent and arousal got stronger. When the last article of clothing dropped, Thalia turned back to look at him, unable to resist. His long, unkempt hair curtained his face but the dark brown eyes saw through, the muscles in his chest rippled with anticipation and his cock stood up proudly.

After giving her a moment to appreciate what she was getting, Lycaeus slowly got on top of her, the desk providing more than enough room and he pressing his naked body against hers. Thalia yelped at the contact and closed her eyes. Lycaeus' smirk became more pronounced and he stuck a finger into her opening. Thalia gasped, her eyes shooting wide open at the intrusion.

"Already wet," purred Lycaeus. "I'm guessing daddy was the last one to have you. You've been craving, haven't you? Been missing the familiar touch?"

Before Thalia could mount a reply, she cried out against the mouth that crushed against hers in a bruising kiss. Taking the opportunity, Lycaeus snaked his tongue against her lips which soon opened, allowing him access. He stroked his tongue against her, trying to get her body to react further. Thalia gagged on the intrusion and bit down. Lycaeus grunted in alarm and withdrew.

A smack echoed as Lycaeus slapped Thalia across the face. Tears stung the backs of her eyes as the pain throbbed in her cheek. She held her palm against it and watched as Lycaeus opened a draw and pulled out a silver knife. The tip pressed against the top of her chest before sliding across, cutting deep enough so that it bled steadily. Dropping the knife, he slapped her arm back down and moved into position.

"Close your eyes and think of Fenrir if you want," said Lycaeus maliciously. "It makes no difference to me."

Lifting her legs, he rammed inside, relishing in the ear splitting scream of pain that followed. Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes, which were shut tight. She raised her hands and pressed them against his thighs, pushing, trying to get away from the full feeling, but it did nothing.

The pushing useless, Thalia gripped the sides of the desk desperately as he ground into her. Instinctively, she arched her back, as if trying to make it less abrasive, as a result, he drove in deeper. Fresh tears rolled down her face and her breasts bounced up and down at his pumping rhythm. Lycaeus watched the blood from the cut drip down the sides onto the desk and the small pool that had gathered in the crease of her neck.

His mouth watered and after a lick of his dry lips, he bent forward and lapped it up, drinking all he could get. Thalia's hips rose to meet his, making him smile. Taking one hand, he reached down between them and with his thumb, ran circles over her clit, wanting to stimulate an orgasm.

He got his wish. In seconds, her body shuddered with pleasure and she came, her eyes still tightly shut. A whisper escaped her lips sounding strangely like Fenrir. The whisper almost went unnoticed. Lycaeus chuckled when realising what she'd said and Thalia turned her head to the side, her cheeks burning red with embarrassment. The muscle walls clenched and Lycaeus followed, spilled inside before collapsing on top of her.

"I knew Fenrir's hold on you was strong but I didn't realise just how strong," said Lycaeus as he dressed. "He's got you wrapped around his little finger, hasn't he?"

"Shut it," said Thalia, getting up from the desk carefully.

She searched the floor for her clothes and once finding them used a spell to stitch them back together. Doing that wasn't something new. After every full moon they always had to do it.

"Does Dumbledore know this?"

"Know what?" snapped Thalia impatiently.

"That you still love daddy?" said Lycaeus, eyeing her. "Does he know how much you love him? That you're having second thoughts about helping them."

"I'm here, aren't I?" said Thalia, motioning around them.

"Perhaps it's a cover," said Lycaeus. "Something to bide your time. You and I both know that getting the werewolf packs to back down won't help much in this war. Is that why you agreed to it?"

Thalia finished dressing herself and turned to face him. "Does our deal still hold?" asked Thalia, ignoring his questions.

"Yes," said Lycaeus. "You have my word. You and Remus may leave."

The look that passed between them was unmistakable but she pushed it down. They were words, nothing more. With a quick nod Thalia left the tent, found Remus and together. They apparated back into London and walked towards Grimmauld Place.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

The walk over the bridge was a quiet one, full of tension and unasked questions. The night sky lingered overhead, the stars twinkling brightly. The moon hung down low, not even half full. A fog horn sounded in the distance and crowds of people walked passed or along with them, none of them not noticing the state they were in.

"Thalia…"

She ignored his voice, ignored when his walking slowed, wanting to forget this day ever happened. They turned down an empty back street and kept on walking. Remus ran to catch up, grabbing her wrist, making her halt where she stood. They looked at each other, Remus' soon moving downwards at the blood that now covered her robe and skin underneath.

"You need to tell me what happened," Remus implored, his voice tight.

"I told you," said Thalia. "A deal was made."

She wrenched her arm out of his grip and proceeded back down the empty street but Remus didn't stop. He caught up, jumped in front of her, making her come to a stop again. He held his hands up, palms facing her to show he'd keep his hands to himself. Thalia folded her arms over her chest, ignoring the cold, wet feeling that squashed against her skin.

"I know what I smell," said Remus firmly. "Tell me exactly what happened."

"If you can smell it then I don't need to tell you anything," said Thalia coldly. "We have to get back."

The attempt to step around him failed as Remus held his ground. "I need to know the full story," he said, lowering his voice. "Dumbledore will ask questions and it seems there are things you'd rather keep private but you need to tell me."

Thalia sighed in sadness and her shoulders slumped. Tears began to sting once more and she bit her bottom lip as she turned away, determined not to cry in front of him. The look went unstated and gently, Remus took her hand. He turned and pulling her along, they started walking back up the street.

"We'll go somewhere else," said Remus when they reached the top of the street. "Over there should do nicely."

"It's a park," pointed out Thalia.

"So?" shrugged Remus, a faint frown appearing between his brows.

"At night?" said Thalia, unsurely. "You want to have a private chat in the park at night?"

"Just- come on," said Remus impatiently, pulling her along.

Crossing the street, they silently walked along the concrete pathway into the park. The lights around the outside did nothing to light the inside which was mostly dark but at least it was empty. They passed the motionless swings, under a set of monkeys bars and sat down on a cold, metal platform underneath it.

"Tell me."

"The leader, Lycaeus… I know him," said Thalia quietly. "He and my father are enemies. Lycaeus craves the position over most of the packs. Father once said that he liked Lycaeus' ferociousness but couldn't trust him. That's why he's always been kept at arm's length. When I explained to the Order about meeting one which was given an offering, that was me. I was the offering. He and my father made a deal and I was part of that."

"Alright," said Remus slowly, taking it in. "And what happened tonight?"

"Lycaeus recognised me," continued Thalia. "He asked questions about how I could betray my father and all that stuff and then he offered me a deal."

"Which was?" pressed Remus.

"I told him what we needed and he said his packs would stand down if he got something," said Thalia, grateful for the darkness as her cheeks began to burn. "Me, which he got, and my father, dead. But he doesn't care how or who does it. When father dies, he can take over which is what he wants."

Remus got to his feet and walked a few steps away. By his stance, Thalia could tell there was something wrong. He appeared calm but with his body turned away from her and rigid, told her something else.

"Why did you do that?" asked Remus, suddenly.

"I thought it was the right thing to do," defended Thalia. "I did the right thing."

"So letting him touch you was the right thing to do?" demanded Remus. "Did it feel right? Tell me, honestly, when you think back on it now, does it feel right?"

"Stop it," whispered Thalia, getting to her feet and walking away.

She got halfway through the park before she was grabbed and turned. Remus looked at her in despair, shaking his head, trying to find the right words to use. But it seemed difficult.

"You don't know what you've done, do you?"

"Why don't you inform me?" snapped Thalia, yanking her hand from his grip.

"What's to stop Lycaeus from going to Fenrir and telling him everything?" said Remus slowly. "Why should Lycaeus trust you? Fenrir will find out you're with me and he knows I'm with the Order. Getting the werewolves to back down isn't going to work now. None of them will listen once this information is given."

Realisation dawned over Thalia's face and she looked up into Remus'. "Then we have to stop him."

"How?" asked Remus. "It could already be too late. Even if we're not, by the time we get back to headquarters and explain everything, he'll probably know. Fenrir will know who you're with and he'll come looking for you and you know it."

Remus stormed passed Thalia and walked back towards the street. For a moment, a feeling of confusion rushed through her as she tried to think of what he meant. When it hit, anger replaced it and she spun on her heel and chased after Remus, no longer caring if her words were heard by others.

"Are you saying I want my father to find me?" asked Thalia, outraged.

"Don't you?" shouted Remus. "I know he abused you when you were little but it's been years. Parts of your story I believe and some I don't."

"Like what?"

"Like why you never ran away before you were seventeen," said Remus slowly. "What took you so long to get away from him. You never even tried, not once. Since being away from him, you think about him all the time and you refuse to talk about him. You can't even acknowledge that you've betrayed him. I don't understand why. Just tell me why."

Silence followed and the tears Thalia hid fell down her cheeks. She didn't bother wiping them away. Her eyes showed disbelief as she stared at Remus. This wasn't something she thought would happen.

"I thought you of all people would understand," said Thalia, shrugging. "Despite the monster he is, I still love him. He's my father, how could I not? And I don't know why I didn't run away but I just didn't. I have no excuse, no reason to give."

"That's not good enough," said Remus quietly. "There's always a reason."

"What do you think it is then?" asked Thalia quickly, turning it around.

"I don't think what you did with Lycaeus was on purpose, but I do think turning against Fenrir was," said Remus, taking a small step back. "Your motive for turning against him isn't strong enough."

"You think I liked what he did to me over the years?" shouted Thalia. "That I stayed because I enjoyed it? That would make me a monster as well, just as sick as he is."

"I'm not saying you liked it," said Remus, breathing deeply. "I'm saying you got used to it. You accepted it. You haven't been a child for such a long time. You could have run away much earlier but you chose not to and if you don't want to tell me why then that's fine. But things will change once we get back."

Thalia's breathing hitched in her throat as she watched Remus turn away. "You're going to tell Dumbledore everything."

"I have no choice."

"You always have a choice," said Thalia following behind him. "And you're choosing to do the wrong thing."

"We'll see…" muttered Remus.

The conversation ended there and Thalia followed Remus all the way back to Grimmauld Place, not once taking her eyes off him.

* * *

Describing the inside of Grimmauld Place as dull and grim was being kind. The wallpaper on every wall, in every room was peeling away, the heads of house-elves decorated along the wall of the stairs and the stale air haunted each room, the open windows doing little to shift it.

The bedroom at the end of the hallway on the third level was worse. The window didn't open. It was magically sealed shut to prevent anything getting in and anyone getting out. Despite the height, bangs and crashes were still easily heard from down in the kitchen and the screeches from the portrait in the hallway never failed to make its way throughout the house.

The floorboards creaked directly in the middle as they were walked over for the hundredth time. The pacing had started just after lunch time and now, with the sun setting, it increased as worry set in. This was going to be the fifth night of the same thing; trapped in this room, only once being able to leave to use the bathroom. It was beginning to drive her mad.

Thuds soon sounded up the stairs and voices accompanied it. Thalia walked to the secure door and pressed her palms and ear flat to the wooden surface. The voices came through muffled as though they were talking quietly and the footsteps sounded closer but then faded away, soon vanishing altogether.

Thalia felt her heart sink into her stomach as she pushed off the door and plonked herself down onto the bed. The hard mattress barely dented with her weight and she sighed in frustration. She had been alone before but this was different. This time, she really was alone and defenceless. There was no Hogwarts, no father, no wand and soon, she was sure, no protection.

Looking out the window, she watched as the sun disappeared, dropping the world into light darkness. Getting to her feet, she approached the glass pane and pressed her hand against the cool surface. Over in the distance, she let her mind wander, imagining she could see towards the forests of where her father hid but there was nothing. Just the city skyline.

As the hours passed, the feeling of hopelessness settled in all over again for the fifth night. They always passed the same way, slow and uneventful. Since being stripped of her wand and placed in this room, nothing had happened. Just before midnight, the door would open and a tray of food would be shoved in and that was the only human interaction she had which was only the minimalist of contact.

Thalia sighed, her breath fogging the window, and banged her forehead against the glass. The last week seemed like a blur and she couldn't begin to pinpoint the moment things had gone wrong and the moment Remus, of all people, had started to question her and her motives. Being accused by humans was one thing but being accused by someone of your own kind hurt, no matter how much truth there was in their words.

Downstairs chimes rang out, signalling that it was midnight. Thalia looked to the door, a frown appearing on her face. Usually, someone came up just before midnight but this time, there was nobody. Light, muffled footsteps suddenly sounded outside the door and the lock turned, startling her. The wooden door opened slowly, revealing the person who had unlocked it.

Remus stood on the other side, his wand firmly in hand. Thalia completely turned around and approached him, stopping a few feet away, not wanting to cross the under the doorframe if her leaving the room wasn't the intention. Remus took a step back and gestured for her to follow before turning away and walking back down the hallway.

Thalia poked her head outside and watched him walk away. When he reached the landing at the staircase, he looked at her and gave another gesture. Feeling curious as to what was going on, Thalia stepped out of the room and followed Remus all the way downstairs into the kitchen. A single plate was laid on the table with food already on it, a knife and fork and a goblet full of pumpkin juice in front.

"That's for you," said Remus, pointing at it.

Stepping to the other side, Thalia sat down and picked up the fork, stabbing at the mash potato on the plate. After one mouth full, she continued to pick at the food but looked up, meeting Remus' eye. He looked sombre and tired, the bags visible under his eyes.

"So, why am I being let out tonight?"

"I just want to talk," said Remus. "Everyone's gone home and I thought giving you a proper meal and some contact might make you feel better." Thalia's eyes narrowed slightly, watching as Remus smiled faintly. "I know how you're feeling."

"Really?" asked Thalia, raising an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

"I thought some time away from everything and everyone would do you some good," explained Remus calmly. "It didn't work did it?"

"Not in the way you were hoping, I'm sure," agreed Thalia.

"Do you think we could talk a little more calmly this time?" asked Remus, taking a seat opposite her.

"Sure," said Thalia, nodding. "As long as we discuss something I want to talk about first."

"Which is?"

"When I stayed with you in your office at Hogwarts, during the full moon, something happened the next morning," explained Thalia. "And you've been refusing to speak of it."

"That's because it didn't mean anything," said Remus with a small sigh. "I know what it can be like before and after a full moon. I should have pushed you away and I didn't. I'm sorry for that."

"So that's it then?" asked Thalia, her voice barely audible. "It meant nothing?"

The sadness in her voice didn't go unnoticed in her voice but Remus shook his head slowly. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I was hoping you'd let go of it. Even if it meant anything at all, this could never happen."

"Why?"

"I'm a lot older than you for starters," said Remus instantly.

"And my father's older than you," retorted Thalia.

"Yes, well that's different," said Remus. "It's wrong. Your father is your father and even if he wasn't, he's way too old for you."

"I suppose," Thalia mumbled, going back to her food.

Silence filled the room as Thalia ate, not once looking up until she finished and pushed the plate away, going for the pumpkin juice next and gulping half of it in one go. When she glanced up, she saw Remus was still looking at her, waiting patiently.

"What are we to talk about then?" asked Thalia.

"Fenrir knows," said Remus after a moment's pause.

"How do you know that?" asked Thalia quickly.

"I've been trying to get in with some of the larger packs for years," explained Remus. "I managed to get in with a smaller one where I made a contact. He informed me a couple of days ago. Fenrir found out just hours after we left."

"What's he going to do?"

"From what I heard, Fenrir is furious," replied Remus. "He's going to find a way to get you back."

"Which means?" questioned Thalia.

"Whenever the Order goes out we will have to be prepared," said Remus tightly. "Fenrir will hunt us nonstop until he gets what he wants."

"Will I be allowed to stay here?" asked Thalia, uncertainly.

"Yes," said Remus with a nod. "Dumbledore is the only person I told of about what happened and he's decided it's best to keep everything quiet. No one else in the Order will know. You won't be locked in your room anymore but again, we don't want you leaving the house. Alright?"

"Sure," said Thalia nodding. A moment of silence passed before anything else was said. "So, we're not going to talk about what happened after our mission?"

"I think we should leave it," said Remus, honestly. "We should focus on more important things. But let me just say I do know Fenrir abused you and I don't understand what it was like to grow up with and I want you to know that if there's anything you ever want to talk about, just come and talk to me."

"Okay," said Thalia, finishing her pumpkin juice. "I understand."

"Good," murmured Remus, getting to his feet. "Get some sleep. There'll be another meeting in a couple days to decide what happens next."

Thalia nodded but said nothing more. Remus left the kitchen and footsteps sounded up the stairs, soon disappearing, leaving her in silence. Thalia remained there until three in the morning, just thinking about Remus' words. She didn't know whether to happy or afraid that her father was after her.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

The kitchen of Grimmauld Place looked different. The long wooden table in the centre had been covered with a white table cloth and food and drink had been placed along it. The walls were decorated with tinsel and bright blue, green and red balls hung from a green tree that had been placed in the far corner. Colourfully wrapped boxes and misshapen objects sat underneath among more decorations.

Thalia sat in between Remus and Sirius, confusion painted on her face as her puzzlement grew. There was another meeting of the Order but this was it. It seemed more like a party than anything else and not everyone was here. She watched as people talk amongst themselves, drank and ate, seemingly without a worry in the world.

"I thought this was supposed to be a meeting?" said Thalia quietly, leaning in towards Remus.

He looked at her, a pleased smile already on his face. "It's also Christmas. Or had you forgotten?"

"Aren't there more important things going on right now?" asked Thalia, a frown starting to appear. "Like a war?"

"People shouldn't stop everyday life every time something big comes around the corner," said Remus with a slight shrug. "And it is a meeting but we thought something a little fun and relaxing might be a nice change."

"Right…" Thalia muttered under her breath.

Remus went back to chatting with Kingsley who sat on his other side and Thalia went back to observing the room. The Christmas celebration had already gone for a few hours and showed no signs of stopping yet. Thalia picked up her goblet and drank, wishing there was something stronger inside it.

After another hour, someone finally moved. Molly got up from the table along with Arthur and they moved towards the tree, gathering up the gifts underneath into their arms. They approached the table, looks of joy clear on their faces.

"Present time," said Arthur over the voices.

The noise quietened as attention was given up the other end. The colourful parcels were passed all around the table and Thalia watched as they were opened. The table become covered in wrapping paper and fabric of the many sweaters that were pulled free.

"This is for you dear."

Thalia suddenly felt cold. She turned to see Molly standing behind her, holding out a present. Thalia took it hesitantly. " Oh, thank you," she whispered.

The package was soft. Putting it down on the table, she opened it carefully. Her hand met something soft and she pulled it free. It was a knitted scarf. She unfolded the dark green material and her eyes widened a little. Stitched in at the end were her initials. A smile tugged at her mouth but didn't fully form as tears stung the backs of her eyes.

"Something wrong?" asked Remus, noticing.

"No, I just… I've never been given a present before," said Thalia, inhaling deeply.

"Really?" asked Remus, surprised. "You haven't celebrated Christmas before?"

"Can you really imagine my father celebrating Christmas?" asked Thalia, the smile threatening to break free. "I don't think wearing a red hat or present giving is really his thing."

Remus chuckled. "I suppose not."

Thalia laughed along with him and wrapped the scarf around her neck before finishing the rest of her pumpkin juice. When there was nothing left to give out, Molly moved up to the other end and pulled a large bowl out of the fridge, plopping it directing in the middle of the table. Thalia leaned forward and looked into it. It was full of a thick white liquid she didn't recognise.

"It's eggnog," said Remus. "It has brandy in it. I'm sure you'll enjoy it," he added, pouring some into her goblet.

Thalia picked up the silver goblet and looked inside at the contents. Deciding to trust him, she took a sip. Her eyes widened a little. It wasn't bad.

Suddenly, the kitchen door burst open, startling everyone to silence. Tonks staggered in, her pink hair dishevelled, mud slathered across her cheek and scorch marks singed along her tattered robes. Remus jumped to his feet and was at her side in seconds.

"Tonks, what happened?"

There was no response. Tonks glanced around the room in shock, her big, blue eyes shining with tears.

"Where are the others?" asked Molly, her face falling.

"Tonks!" shouted Remus, shaking her by the shoulders lightly. It gained her attention. "What happened?"

"They were- we were just there and they attacked," said Tonks quickly, her voice shaking uncontrollably. "There were too many."

"Who was it?" demanded Dumbledore, getting to his feet.

"Death Eaters," Tonks replied, ignoring the tears that rolled down her cheeks. "And werewolves. There were so many of them. They ambushed us, we were caught off guard and… and…"

"Where are the others?" said Remus quickly,

"Gone," said Tonks, shaking her head. "George was injured and Fred went to help but both were taken. Bill was attacked."

"Is he alive?" asked Molly, her voice turning shrill.

"I don't know," sobbed Tonks. "The Death Eaters swarmed in and took him. They then went after me but I managed to get away."

"So you left them there?" said Molly loudly, stepping closer. "How is George injured? Are Fred and Bill alright?"

"Not now," snapped Remus, glancing her way before turning back to Tonks. "What else? Did you see where they were taken?"

"No," said Tonks, her voice still shaking. "They were just rounding us up and I was last. I ran. Someone had to tell what happened and…"

Tonks trailed off as her voice failed and her legs gave way. Remus' arms wrapped around her, preventing her from hitting the floor.

"She's passed out."

"Upstairs," said Dumbledore, pointing. "I'll get Madam Pomfrey here. I want Alastor, Arthur, Kingsley, and Remus to go to their last location. See what you can find."

Dumbledore was out the door and gone before anyone could utter a single word. Remus hauled Tonks up and into his arms and carried her out of the kitchen and upstairs, many of the members following. Thalia stood outside the open bedroom door and watched.

"What should I do?" asked Sirius, looking somewhat out of place in his own home.

"Look after her," said Remus, placing the blankets over her. "We should leave immediately."

The others nodded in agreement and made their way downstairs. Thalia continued looking into the room. Sirius pulled a chair up and sat down, leaning forward. Without knowing why, Thalia turned away and joined the others downstairs. Remus stood a few feet away from the others, pulling on his brown coat.

"You love her."

Remus gave a start at the statement and looked at her. "Tonks and I have… been seeing each other. It's not serious or anything."

"Doesn't look that way," said Thalia quietly. "I won't say anything but I will say that this is the reason you should have used for pushing me away."

"I-"

"And don't apologise."

"Well someone's gotten bossy," Remus muttered audibly under his breath. "Is that the only reason you came down here?"

"No," said Thalia. "I'm coming with you."

"You can't," said Remus firmly. "It's too dangerous."

"My father is probably responsible for the attack," said Thalia. "Which is my fault in the first place. I need to go with you."

"And if Fenrir is responsible he knows that more people will show up," said Remus. "He may think you'll be one of them."

"I don't care," dismissed Thalia. "I'm going."

Remus sighed heavily, running a hand over his tired face. "Fine," he said eventually. "But you better stay close and I mean really close. The first sign of trouble and we get out of there."

"I'll stay close," said Thalia with a nod.

"Good," said Remus, giving her a look of weariness. "Let's go."

On the way out the door, Thalia clutched her wand that Remus handed to her. They walked up to the end of the street, Thalia just behind them. As she tucked her wand away in her black robes, she forced herself to keep calm. Just because there was a chance of her father turning up, doesn't mean he will.

* * *

The grassy field was empty. Trees in the distance lined the foot of the hill in front of them, the sun already disappearing behind it. Clouds swarmed above, covering the blue sky. The five of them stood in a line beside each other, all scanning their surroundings, waiting for the ambush that could be coming.

When the sunlight disappeared completely, plumes of black smoke poured down from the sky and landed across the field from them. The ten figures stood motionless, wrapped in black cloaks, silver masks covering their faces and their wands already pointed forward.

"We're outnumbered," whispered Thalia.

Remus spared her a sideways glance. "Is Fenrir there?"

Thalia shrugged, panic suddenly filling her chest. "I don't know," she hissed quickly, the panic showing through. "He doesn't normally wear a mask but he could be."

"You don't smell him?"

"No, probably because I'm standing close to you."

Remus gave her another glance, frowning slightly which made Thalia smile. She gripped her wand firmly in her hand which was beginning to sweat. Between the two groups there was nothing but silence, a thick tension that no one wanted to break. Thalia skimmed each face but only the eye slit were visible but not the eyes themselves.

The attack came swiftly. Flashes of light filled the air and whizzed towards, all of them missing. They returned the favour and the fighting soon broke free. Thalia moved away, her breathing deepening as one Death Eater matched her movements. A flash of white light hurtled towards her, hitting her in the shoulder.

She gasped and fell to her knees, wand still in hand. The man removed his mask but she didn't recognise him. A leer adorned his face and his dark eyes twinkled with glee as he twirled his wand in a threatening gesture. Another spell was sent but she reflected it, instantly sending one of her own. It hit him in the leg, sending him to the ground, his wand falling from his hand.

Thalia rushed to her feet and got away from him as he seemed to recover quickly. From across the field, she heard the shouting of her name and found Remus. His scarred face showed fear as he motioned for her to run. Slowly, she turned to face what he'd been so worried about. Fenrir stood only two metres away, his wand by his side and a wide, malicious grin on his face.

"Round them up," ordered one of the unmasked men.

It took only minutes before the five of them were lined up, wandless and made to kneel. Several bouts of merciless laughter reached them as the dark figure stood near, looming over them. The largest one of them approached Thalia and bent down to her eye level.

"Hello my little darling."

Thalia breathing came out in heavy pants and fear rushed through her veins. Her heart thundered so hard against her ribcage she was sure it would break a rib or two and blood rushed through her ears making it difficult to hear.

But if Fenrir noticed it, he didn't say anything. He caught her eye and grinned menacingly. Two stained fingers stroked her cheek, making her flinch backwards. Fenrir straightened and held his wand out firmly, pointing to each one of the other three.

"Are you leaving with me tonight?" asked Fenrir.

"No," whispered Thalia, her voice shaking.

"Wrong answer, sweetheart," he chuckled. "Crucio!"

The spell hit Kingsley square in the chest and he fell onto his side with a thud. His body convulsed and cries of pain escaped his mouth. Thalia closed her eyes and turned away, not wanting to watch. Fenrir and the others laughed again.

"Going to come back with me now?"

It took Thalia a moment longer to answer but it was still the same. "No," she murmured tightly.

"Crucio!"

Remus was next. His body jerked up before landing hard on the ground and instantly started to tremble with pain. No sound came from his mouth but the contortion of his features said everything as did the tears that leaked from the corners of his eyes.

"Stop!" shouted Thalia as he got off her knees.

"Are you sure, sweetheart?" asked Fenrir in a sickly sweet voice.

"Yes, enough," said Thalia, stepping forwards. "I'll go with you if you let them go unharmed."

"I will…" said Fenrir. "If you use the cruciatus cruse on Lupin here."

"I…"

"If you don't, they'll be returned to the Order in body bags," said Fenrir, interrupting the beginning of his daughter's objection.

Thalia turned away from her father and looked down at Remus. Slowly, his eyes moved upwards to meet hers and she instantly felt a pang of guilt. The blue eyes looked sad but she knew there was only one option available to her.

"Crucio."

The reaction was the same. Her heart clenched at the sight of Remus writhing in pain on the hard ground, more tears escaping, rolling down his face. Once it ended, Thalia stepped back and a hand enclosed around her arm, pulling her backwards.

"Keep an eye on them," snapped Fenrir. "Wait until we leave before doing anything."

The others nodded and with a sharp pull, Fenrir withdrew from the group, hauling Thalia along with him. Once into the clearing, Fenrir moved them into position. She met Remus' gaze. A solemn look had replaced the one of worry and fear. At the expression, Thalia felt her heart sink into her stomach. With a loud crack, they apparated away, the young werewolf now back in her father's arms.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

The mansion was beautiful. It was unlike any place she'd been before and it was certainly an improvement on Grimmauld Place which was a dump in comparison. She didn't know who owned the place but couldn't imagine how it mattered. The Dark Lord and his Death Eaters no doubt lived or stayed here for the most part.

The room she was in now was sumptuously decorated. The walls were a pale green and the floor was made of stone and had a fluffy white rug in the centre. At the far end sat a marble fireplace that roared with life. A gilt mirror hung above it, in which she could clearly see her reflection. A black leather lounge set sat against the wall, portraits of blonde haired, pale skinned people hanging on the wall behind it.

Thalia stepped towards the large, square window that was surrounded by opaque white curtains. She was on the second floor and the window didn't open. The security was just like at Grimmauld Place. Once inside it was hard to get out. From the window, she could see the garden, the fountain in the centre was visible as were the unmissable albino peacocks that roamed around.

"Time to go, little girl."

Thalia turned at the voice, startled as she didn't hear him come in. A tall man with a pale and twisted face had stepped into the room. He wore a long, black robe that swept along the ground. His hard grey eyes bore into hers, making her look away quickly but she gave him a nod to show she understood.

She approached and treaded around him, leaving the room and went downstairs, fully aware that he was following. They walked down a long, dim corridor, turning off to enter the drawing room. The purple walls stood out vividly against the paintings and portraits that lined the walls. Thalia wondered how many generations it went back.

In the centre a long and stylish silver table took up most of the room. Many people sat around it in the high backed matching chairs, all of them swathed in black robes that hit the wooden floor. Thalia stopped in the doorway and held her breath as slight panic set in, glancing sideways as the man remained with her.

But no attention was paid to either of them. The meeting continued as though they weren't there. At the far end Thalia saw a pale man with no nose and slitted eyes that glowed red. The breath she'd been holding was released and her shoulders slumped. Near the fireplace at the other end, she saw her father who was already looking her way.

After being reunited with him, they had apparated straight here and she'd been immediately placed in the room upstairs. It had been a couple days. This was the first time she'd been out or seen anyone. It had really surprised her. She expected her father to follow her into the room and lock the door but he hadn't. He'd just turned and left. The absence of a punishment did make her think one was close by though. It had to be.

Almost another ten minutes passed before the meeting seemed to end. Fenrir lifted a finger and gestured for her to come over. A few people from the meeting piled out of the room without a word, while others stared at her and watched as she walked by. It was unnerving to say the least. At reaching her father, she stopped in front of him and waited, not daring to look up and met his eyes.

Fenrir moved in closer, his scent filling her senses. With his forefinger and thumb, he lifted her head by her chin, forcing her to look at him. Thalia's eyes widened a little. Fenrir's expression was calm and his touch was almost gentle. It only made her feel worse. This was going to be bad when it reached its end.

"So this is the thing you wanted back?"

The high pitched voice made Thalia freeze. It was cold and inhuman.

Fenrir turned to face the person who had spoken. "Yes, my lord," he said, in the politest voice Thalia had ever heard.

A gasp flew from her mouth as her legs were kicked out from under her and a hand twisted in her hair to pull her head back. A warm, breathy chuckle hovered above her ear, gently tickling the lobe.

"Bow to your lord," hissed the cold, female voice.

The hands released pushing her so she fell forwards on her hands. The small group that had remained behind after the meeting laughed, clearly amused. Thalia felt her cheeks burn with slight embarrassment but she said nothing, waiting to see where this was going. She moved back to her knees, wiping her hands on the front of her robes.

With a quick glance behind her she noticed the woman who forced her to bow and whispered in her ear was Bellatrix Lestrange. Part of her wasn't surprised. A tall figure soon came into view, disrupting her train of thought. The black robes swished along the ground fluidly like water. Thalia's breathing turned irregular as glanced up for the briefest of moments.

It was the same man she'd seen earlier with the pale skin and glowing red eyes. "Nagini…"

A faint frown appeared between Thalia's brows. The name uttered had no meaning to her. But it was soon answered when a hissing noise sounded through the room, making everyone silent. Thalia's eyes widened to an impossible size as an enormous snake slithered in, hissing at a few people as it came forward. It crawled up the man's body, encircling and twisting around until its head was beside his.

"Do you know who I am?"

Thalia nodded but said nothing.

"Then who am I?" he pressed.

"You're… you're V- Vo- Vold-"

Laughter cut her off and she hung her head in humiliation. Her cheeks burned bright red. Even Voldemort laughed along with his followers. "It seems even after your time with the Order, you can't say my name. Interesting."

"If you say so," Thalia muttered under her breath.

A smack echoed the room as Bellatrix struck her across the head. "Whelp!" she shouted. "You will apologise!"

"Calm yourself, Bellatrix," said Voldemort in a calm voice. "It seems she doesn't think it's so interesting. What were they teaching you there?"

"N-nothing," whispered Thalia.

"Nothing? Really?" question Voldemort. "I find that hard to believe. You will tell me everything I want to know, won't you?"

"Like what?" asked Thalia. She could hear her voice shaking but did her best to ignore it.

"Where is the location of their headquarters?"

Thalia shook her head. "I don't know," she answered with a shrug.

"Liar," breathed Voldemort.

"Even if I wanted to tell you, I can't," said Thalia firmly. "They have a secret keeper which prevents it."

"Hmm…" the dark lord hummed. "The others said the same. Perhaps they were telling the truth after all… but I guess the torture wasn't a complete waste."

As Thalia thought through his words, she soon realised he was talking about the three members his followers had kidnapped earlier. Thalia subtly glanced around. They had to be somewhere in this house, well, unless they had another location. The thought alone made her feel strangely cold.

"Would you like to join them?"

Thalia gave no response but the decision was made for her. Two Death Eaters grabbed her arms and hauled to her to her feet. Thalia glanced to where her father had been standing but he was no longer there. He was gone. A feeling of disappointment filled her but she pushed it down as she was taken through a trap door. The dark flight of stairs led to a metal gate which opened with the flick of a wand. She was shoved inside and the gate magically locked behind them.

Instantly, Thalia searched the pockets of her robes for her wand but came up empty. Somewhere along the way, someone had taken it but she didn't know who. The cell she stood in was cold. The walls and floor were both made of stone as were the columns that surrounded her. There was barely any light, most of it coming from a single torch in the corner which three bodies huddled around, drops of blood leading straight to them.

Only one of them had moved at all from the disturbance. "Thalia?"

It was Bill. She walked forwards a little, curious, wanting a better look at him and the twins that sat hunched over in the corner together. Bill looked good despite being attacked. His hair remained in his trademark ponytail and the scratches on his already marked face were minimal but the large gash down his shoulder didn't go unnoticed.

"Are you alright?" she asked after seeing the wound.

"I'll be fine," said Bill, dismissing his injury. "It's George I'm worried about. He lost an ear."

"What?" asked Thalia, alarmed.

"Bellatrix's idea of a hilarious joke," said Bill bitterly. "Fred's fine but he won't be if George dies."

"Judging from what… he said you've been tortured?"

"Yes," said Bill, knowing who she referred to. "Although Voldemort didn't do the torturing himself. He let his followers do it."

"What did you tell them?"

"Nothing," said Bill firmly. "I hope you did the same."

"He only asked me where the headquarters were," said Thalia, shrugging. "But I won't say anything."

"Good," Bill muttered under his breath before turning back to his brothers.

Thalia mirrored his movements and approached the twins. George was leaning against the wall with Fred dangled over him, a hand rubbing his back. Even from where she stood Thalia could see the blood from George's ear dripping onto the stone floor. The drops leading to them were dry but the small puddle wasn't. It was still wet and shined in the firelight above.

"Isn't there anything you can do?" asked Thalia quietly.

"I've done all I can for now," replied Bill, sighing. "I managed to slow the bleeding but it was dark magic that Bellatrix used. It needs constant attention or he'll bleed out but it won't matter in a few hours anyway."

"Why?" asked Thalia quickly.

"We've got nothing to replenish his blood with," answered Bill, meeting her eye. "We've been here for two days now and he's lost quite a bit of blood. I estimate we've maybe got another day but that would be stretching it."

Thalia looked away and back down at George. She frowned faintly at Bill's almost calm tone of voice. When she looked back up to his face, she shook her head slowly. "What are you saying?" she asked slowly. "You want me to go out there and what, beg or something?"

Bill sighed again and his features tensed as though he were in pain. "I know I have no right to ask but we're not important to anyone out there but you are," said Bill firmly. "Fenrir has been looking for you and now he's got you back, he leaves you in here. Why? If you go to him and apologise he might take you back and you can ask him for a favour."

"Are you kidding me?" shrieked Thalia. "The only thing I'll be getting is a beating whether I apologise or not."

"Why is Fenrir not beating you now then?" asked Bill quickly.

"I don't know," said Thalia, shrugging. "Maybe he's lost interest."

"Maybe he's waiting for you to turn desperate," suggested Bill. "The Order don't know where we are so no help is coming and George doesn't have that kind of time. He doesn't have the strength for a fight either and I'm not going to risk it. There's only you."

"I don't want to…" whined Thalia, moving away from them.

"I know and I'm sorry for asking you to do this but there's no other option. Please, Thalia."

Thalia stopped where she was and looked at Bill again. From the look on his face and his pleads, she almost couldn't bear it. A heavy sigh escaped her and she nodded slowly before walking to the gate and bashing on it as hard as she could.

"Hey!" she shouted. "Someone get down here!"

Shuffling was heard from upstairs and soon the trap door was opened. Thalia squinted through the light and saw a tall figure standing at the top of the stairs. She couldn't tell who it was, only that it must have been a Death Eater from the black robes.

"What you yelling about?" demanded the Death Eater in a rough voice.

"I want to see my father!" she called out, hoping others upstairs had heard it too.

"He'll get to you, sweetheart."

"Get Fenrir here and tell him his daughter wants to see him now!"

"Crucio!"

The unforgivable curse hit Thalia in the chest and she fell backwards, hitting the stone floor before writhing with the uncontrollable pain the curse caused. Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes while cries of pain escaped her mouth. In only seconds it was over but had felt like minutes. Cold laughter came from the trap door entrance.

"Remember your place, little girl."

The trap door closed, cutting off the light and Thalia realised it was the same Death Eater who had collected her from the room upstairs. In seconds, a figure leaned over her and after blinking out the rest of the tears, she saw it was Bill. An expression of concern coated his features and he helped her back to her feet.

"Are you alright?" he whispered, checking her for any major damage.

"I'm fine," she said, stepping away.

"Well, thanks for trying," said Bill, looking defeated.

"I'm sure father will come and get me," said Thalia, trying to sound as hopeful as she could. "I wish I could say what he does in situations like these but I don't as I've never been in one."

"It's okay," said Bill quickly.

"Bill!" yelled Fred.

Both of them looked to the corner at the other side of the room. George was now slumped against the wall rather than leaning. His eyes were closed and his mouth open. Bill rushed over and moved Fred aside, getting in close to his younger sibling. Thalia stepped closer in curiosity as she watched Bill hold George's head between his hands and muttered incantations. When he finished he stood up and wiped the blood off his hands onto his jeans.

"What did you just do?" asked Thalia, still looking at Bill.

"Wandless magic is possible," said Bill, meeting her eye. "That's why George doesn't have long. Doing this with a wand would only be a little better. We need someone who knows how to handle injuries caused by dark magic and I'm not an expert. What I'm able to do without a wand only helps a little."

With nothing left to say, Thalia watched as the three Weasley's sat together in the corner, Bill watching over the two younger ones. Feeling out of place, she stepped away and walked towards the only boarded up window. She frowned faintly as she wondered why there was a boarded up window in a cell. She looked it over, hoping for a crack in it to see anything but there was nothing. It was completely sealed.

After a few moments, everything remained the same and Thalia moved to sit on the floor. Her eyes darted between the three Order members and the metal gate at the other end, hoping it would soon open and she could have a chance at helping.


	13. Chapter 13

Warning: Chapter contains oral incest (father/daughter). Don't like, please don't read. You've been warned.

* * *

Chapter Thirteen

The living room of Grimmauld Place was quiet. Since their return no one had spoken. Their silence had said it all. Molly sat on the sofa in front of the tall window, her face buried in her hands, the cry evident by the shaking of her shoulders. Arthur sat on the arm rest beside her, rubbing her back, trying to give comfort.

Remus stood in one corner with his arms wrapped around Tonks whose silent sobs struck at his heart. He knew the guilt she felt earlier was still with her. Kingsley and Moody stood in the opposite corner, knowing looks passing between them. Sirius sat in the armchair across from the sofa, his eyes darting between everyone. The remaining Weasley children hung around the doorway, the expression of sadness mirroring each other's.

The first person to move was Sirius. He got up from the armchair and moved across the room towards the door. Remus looked up and watched him walk away and he wasn't the only one, Kingsley had also noticed.

"Going somewhere, Sirius?" asked Kingsley in his deep, soothing voice.

"We've got nothing," replied Sirius, lingering in the doorway between Ron and Ginny. "Something has to be done. We sit here and they die then we'll feel worse."

"There's nothing we can do," said Remus firmly. "They apparated and you can't trace that."

"Doesn't mean we can't search for them," said Sirius.

The tall frame of Sirius exited the room, leaving the others in silence again. Remus was the only one left staring after him. He wondered if his old friend was right. Perhaps they could do something more than just sit around to wait and find out what was going on out there. After planting a light kiss on top of her head, Remus removed his arms from around Tonks and moved towards the door.

"Now where are you going?" asked Arthur.

"With Sirius," replied Remus, not stopping. "He's right. We can't just sit here and wait. We shouldn't."

They all watched him leave. Moments after the front door closed with a solid thud, Tonks wiped her eyes and left the room, removing her wand from her robes as she walked. With barely a sound, Kinsley and Moody followed and after a few shuffles against the hard, wooden floor, Harry left as well with Ron and Hermione in tow.

* * *

The room was nothing like the other one. It was a dungeon and it was dark. The black stone walls were surprisingly clean but the bloodstained, white concrete floor was a different story. Splatters of different sizes marked the asphalt, painting a vivid picture. Hooks mounted on the longest wall held whips, chains and other various pieces, some of which were unknown.

In the centre, Thalia knelt on the concrete floor, her hands clasped behind her back and her head bowed in submission. Boots footsteps echoed against the floor as they walked around the feminine figure, his hands currently empty. His face bore an expression of suppressed wrath that threatened to break with a single word.

It had been half an hour and he had yet said nothing. She shivered at the cold air that wafted in through the vents, ignoring the goosebumps that rose up along the flesh that was exposed. After a few more minutes, Fenrir stepped away. He picked up something that sounded heavy and brought it over, placing it against the wall metres away from her.

"Look up," coaxed Fenrir.

Thalia fought the urge to resist and she looked up, instantly seeing her reflection in the rectangular mirror Fenrir had placed directly in front of her. The corner pieces had broken off and were missing and light dashes of grime decorated down each side. Unable to look anymore, she hung her head again.

She didn't need to see the brown hair that was greying or the grey eyes that looked gaunt inside their sockets. Everything was depressing enough. There was no need to add anything more to it.

"What's the matter?" asked Fenrir, mockingly. "Having trouble looking at yourself? I'm having trouble looking at you too. I think we should make an improvement. What do you think?"

Thalia said nothing. It didn't matter what her answer was, whatever Fenrir had planned, he was going to do anyway. With a heavy swallow, Thalia closed her eyes, waiting for the beating that was surely coming. But no blow came. Instead, the snip, snip of scissors cutting the air reached her, making her eyes shoot open.

She looked up in time to see Fenrir, who was standing behind her, grabbed a chunk of her hair and cut it off. The motion was fluid and there was no hesitation. Their eyes met in the mirror and a sadistic smile spread across Fenrir's face, making the sinking feeling in her stomach worse.

Thalia closed her eyes as more locks of her hair fell down around her. When the pulling and snipping stopped, she slowly opened her eyes again and looked up into the mirror. Shock instantly registered on her face as she took in her new appearance. Fenrir had cut most of her hair off, leaving it short and just above her ears, a few shorter strands falling over her forehead and into her eyes.

"Isn't that better?" asked Fenrir, bending down to her level.

A clang echoed beside them as Fenrir threw the scissors away, visibly startling Thalia. Her stir didn't go unnoticed by Fenrir whose smile widened and his blue eyes gleamed with elation at her anxiety. A strong hand closed around her arm and squeezed just enough for it to hurt a little.

"I'm surprised you called for me," uttered Fenrir, his hot breath hitting her ear. "You ran away so I thought you'd want to be kept away from me and placed with your little friends. Don't you like them? Or did you beg because miss me?"

Thalia inhaled shakily and licked her dry lips. Keeping her eyes on a spot of blood on the ground, she nodded. "I missed you," she breathed harshly.

"Liar," hissed Fenrir, pushing her away forcefully.

A yelp escaped as her palms hit the concrete hard, scraping the skin. Fenrir returned to his full height and walked away. Thalia pulled herself back into her kneeling position and quickly checked her hands but they were fine. There was no blood, only light scratches.

"I know what you did."

The words stopped Thalia cold. She sat back on her heels and placed her hands in her lap. Wanting to show her submission, she bowed her head again, not knowing what to say to the claim.

"What are you talking-?"

"Don't!" snapped Fenrir, cutting her off. "Don't try and play the innocent 'I don't know what you're talking about' game. Not only did you betray me but you ran off with the Order, spilled information to Dumbledore, hung around Lupin and slept with an enemy."

Thalia's eyes widened as she gazed up to meet her father's. "I… How did you know about…"

"About your slutting around?" barked Fenrir. "Lycaeus was all too pleased to give me the information of how you opened your legs for him, reeked of Lupin and offered my head on a silver platter. What were you going to do? Stay with the Order and hope someone got to me before you'd have to face me and the things you've done?"

"No!" cried Thalia. "No, it wasn't like that, I swear. I just wanted to do what Remus had been trying to do for years. I wanted to help him because he… he…"

"What!" shouted Fenrir.

"He was nice to me," whispered Thalia, fearful that her voice was going to disappear. "He offered support without having to be told or asked. He was comforting and I enjoyed that."

"He used you," spat Fenrir viciously. "He showed a little kindness and you wet your panties and panted after him like a bitch in heat."

"No…" sobbed Thalia.

A smack resonated through the room as Fenrir struck Thalia across the face, whipping her head to the side. She gasped through her teeth and placed a hand to the stinging cheek, holding back the tears that formed. As Fenrir stepped away, Thalia breathed deeply, making herself relax, still maintaining faint hope that she could calm him.

"So, how was he?" asked Fenrir.

Thalia looked up in her father's direction. "Remus and I didn't… he wouldn't… he pushed me away."

"Oh, poor puppy," purred Fenrir, grinning from ear to ear. "How was Lycaeus then? Same as last time?"

"No," answered Thalia. "It wasn't as violent although he still kept on with the blood play."

"Hmm…" Fenrir hummed.

Silence came between them and Fenrir moved towards the door. His black robes swished behind him and Thalia watched. She didn't know what was going to happen or what he was going to say next. She just hoped it wasn't something bad.

"I'm disowning you."

It was bad. Thalia's eyes widened and she shook her head frantically. "No, please, no," she said quickly. "I won't survive out there on my own. Please! I promise I won't run away again. I'll do anything. I'll make it up to you. Please..."

Fenrir stopped in his tracks, the door squeaking as he held it open. He turned back to look at his daughter. After a moment, he took two steps back and closed the door, locking it with his wand. He walked towards her and stopped right in front, looking down at her.

"Anything, eh?" he mused. "And why would you offer this after running away?"

Thalia sucked in her lips and pressed down hard. "The people you captured earlier…"

"So it is about your little friends," said Fenrir. "You want to save them. And you think by crawling back to me on your knees will get you a favour."

"I know you don't believe me but I have missed you," said Thalia quietly. "Well, some things anyway."

"Such as?"

"I missed the comfort you provided during each full moon," said Thalia honestly. "I missed the protection you gave me."

"I see."

"Father, I didn't run away from you," insisted Thalia. "I ran away from the things you were doing. I love you, I do but …"

"Finish that sentence," ordered Fenrir, his chest heaving outward impressively.

"But what you're doing with me isn't natural," said Thalia, her voice beginning to shake. "It's wrong and it's sick. I don't want that again."

Fenrir chuckled as he bent down to her level once more and cupped her jaw with his hand. He forced her head up so she looked at him. Thalia held her breath as he came forward, the strong scent filling her nose. Their lips touched gently. Thalia didn't resist. She opened her mouth, allowing him access and instantly, a warm tongue slithered along hers before running over her teeth.

Fenrir pulled away first, still holding her face. "You can't hate it all that much if you don't even try to pull away."

He pushed her away slightly and stood up straight. Thalia mentally kicked herself. "I don't want a beating."

"You're getting a beating one way or another," said Fenrir firmly. "You ran away. You can't come crawling back and expect to get off scratch free but you have a little say in when the beating comes."

"What do you mean?" asked Thalia nervously.

"It can happen now or tomorrow night," replied Fenrir.

"What's tomorrow night?"

"The surprise I have for you," said Fenrir, the sadistic smile returning. "If you want to start making it up to me, open your mouth."

Thalia's eyes fell shut. She knew what he wanted. Drawing to her full height on her knees, Thalia did as she was told and opened her mouth. Fenrir laughed at her obedience and unzipped his pants. Thalia flinched backwards and her eyes opened as something heated and wet hit her lips.

The head of her father's stiff cock rubbed along her lips, smearing a trail of precome that already oozed out. Obediently, Thalia opened her mouth more, allowing Fenrir to thrust in. Her gag relaxes kicked in and she attempted to pull off but Fenrir grabbed her head and kept it in place.

As best she could, Thalia swirled her tongue around the impressive length, almost happy to hear the strangled moan in her father's throat. It meant the more she did the same thing, the quicker it would be over.

With a buck of his hips, Fenrir took hold of Thalia's head, roughly pulling and pushing it, his knuckles turning white. Thalia did all she could to speed up the conclusion by sucking as hard as she could and running her tongue over each overly sensitive area.

"Fuck, just like that sweetheart," muttered Fenrir, his breath quickening.

In one quick motion, he held Thalia's head still as a broken, strangled grunt escaped his lips, signalling he had gone over the edge. Instinctively, Thalia attempted to jerk backwards as he came in her mouth but the alpha werewolf's grip was strong, able to hold her in the position he wanted without any fuss.

Seconds passed as he rode out his orgasm. When he came down from his high, he withdrew from Thalia's mouth quickly, letting his placid cock hang freely while he covered her mouth with one hand while the other tangled itself in the back of her hair.

"Swallow it," ordered Fenrir.

The air got dangerously thin before Thalia did as she was told. She cringed as the bitter taste went down, burning the back of her throat. Once it was gone, Fenrir released her and walked away, stuffing himself back in his pants roughly.

"Let's go," he instructed, gesturing to her.

"Is that it?" asked Thalia, wondering if that were her only punishment.

"No," said Fenrir, smiling. "The rest will come tomorrow but first, I'm going to grant your request."

"What request?"

Fenrir regarded her momentarily at the comment. "The prisoners can be freed on one condition."

"What…?" asked Thalia hesitantly.

"You choose which one dies."

Thalia jumped to her feet and was before Fenrir in seconds. She clutched at the front of his robes, ignoring the sneer he gave her.

"Please, don't," she begged. "I said I'd do anything…"

"And I believe you," said Fenrir. "And you'll have a chance to prove it." Fenrir paused to stroke a few short strands out of his daughter's eyes. "Either you kill one of them or they all die."

Thalia opened her mouth but her words came out broken. Fenrir grabbed her by the wrist and led her from the room, dragging her up to the fourth floor. At the end of the long hallway, they came to a locked door which Fenrir opened with the flick of his wrist. It creaked open and upon entering, Thalia saw several pairs of eyes staring their way. It was the rest of the pack.

Fenrir walked through clear pathway that ran down to another door. This one was different. It was already open, slightly ajar but showed what looked to be an empty room. But on moving closer to it, Thalia could see the bottom half of a bed. Slowly, her eyes widened as she noticed a slender and motionless pair of legs going with it.

At reaching the door, Fenrir pushed it open almost violently before stepping in, pulling Thalia along with him. The room was plain; white, bare walls, a dusty wooden floor and a double bed in the centre, the shadows of the headboard rising up sharply from the dim light of the two lamps beside it.

Fenrir released her wrist and approached the bed, sitting on the space of pillow beside the young female's limp body. He stroked down her pale cheek and Thalia watched, a feeling of resentment cramming in her chest but whether it was towards her father or the unknown female, she was unsure.

"You don't recognise her?" said Fenrir, looking up at her, an eyebrow raised in what she guessed to be amusement.

Thalia remained silent. She took a step forward and looked the girl over. She had dark brown hair that reached her waist and pale skin that looked as though it would be cold to the touch. Her clothes were as plain as the room; blue jeans and a pale pink top that was scrunched around the bottom.

After another, quiet moment, Thalia gave a slight shrug and shook her head, giving her father a questioning look.

"Say hello to Gracie."


	14. Chapter 14

Warning: Contains torture.

* * *

Chapter Fourteen

Several minutes passed in complete and utter silence. Thalia's widened eyes filled to the brim with tears that spilled over quickly, rolling down her cheek, passing her open mouth that refused to say anything. The memories of her sister's birth flooded back to her and she stifled a sob, remembering how she looked sleeping in her torn blanket on the steps of a stranger's home.

The silence broke at Fenrir's gratified snigger. His narrowed eyes never left her as he approached his youngest child and sat on the bed beside her shoulder and placed an arm around her head, stroking the soft strands of hair that fell over the white pillow. But the touch didn't wake her. She remained sleeping and motionless.

A strangled whimper sounded in Thalia's throat as her father's free hand pressed firmly against Gracie's stomach and roamed the small area, his fingers brushing against the cool skin. Swallowing heavily, Thalia stepped around to the side Fenrir sat on and bent down slightly for a better look at her sister.

Closer, her sister looked much like their mother; burgundy hair, pale skin, blue eyes. The only difference she could see was that her frame was a little lankier. Lifting a hand, Thalia went to brush Gracie's fringe out of her closed eyes but instantly thought the better of it. Her eyes closed momentarily as Fenrir laughed at her hesitant actions.

"You found her?" said Thalia, standing tall and taking a step back.

"She wasn't all that hard to find," murmured Fenrir. "You didn't think she'd be safe from me forever, did you?"

"Part of me had hoped," said Thalia, honestly. "How did you find her?"

"Your precious Order led me straight to them," replied Fenrir in a tone of delight.

"No," denied Thalia, shaking her head. "They wouldn't do that."

"It seems no matter how they're raised, no Greyback is to be trusted," said Fenrir, smiling. "Their plan was to move your sister out of the country, thinking that you would give her up or look for her if you returned to me."

A feeling of shock hit her. "How can you possibly know any of that!" snapped Thalia, raising her voice.

"Don't be foolish, Thalia!" yelled Fenrir, getting to his feet, his smile gone. "It wouldn't have mattered how much you helped them, they were never going to trust you. Never! Don't be naïve into thinking that any of them actually cared about you. All they wanted was the information you carried."

"I don't want to be on this side," said Thalia quietly.

"Sometimes you don't get to choose which side you're on," said Fenrir. "Sometimes it's chosen for you. You're stuck on this side whether you like it or not and you need to start helping."

Thalia turned away from her father, walking to the only window in the room which was just a small square in the wall. Judging by the lighter blue in the sky and the dwindling stars, it was nearing morning. She sighed, watching as her breath easily fogged half the window. The conflict in her head still raged on and she didn't know which side was right. Was there even a right one?

Turning back to the room, she locked eyes with her father. "What kind of help?"

A feral grin spread across Fenrir's face, sending an odd chill through Thalia's body. Fenrir stepped forwards and took his daughter by the hand and led her back downstairs. It was slow going but progress was progress after all.

"We are going to have a little private chat with our Dark Lord."

* * *

The handsome bedchamber was cold. The black curtains were pulled shut, blocking out the early morning light. The large four poster bed was still neatly made, looking as though no one had slept in it. A black, throne chair sat in front of a marble fireplace, the orange flames flickers high in the grate. The flowing black robes of the person in the chair hit the floor, pooling around his feet elegantly and a small hissing sound came from the far corner.

A knock at the heavy black door disrupted his thoughts and made the hissing grow louder. He returned it, calming his pet considerably before settling in the chair again, waiting. The knock happened twice more and with quick motion of his hand, the door opened, revealing two people.

"Come in."

The cold voice sent chills through both people who stepped in, the one in front visible shaking from the fear that rushed through her body, almost making her hope that it would send her into shock to stop this. They stopped halfway between the chair and the door; the female pushed to the ground and forcibly made to kneel while the other did so willingly.

"My Lord," said Fenrir respectfully. "My daughter has information to share with you."

"Does she now?" drawled Voldemort with an amused chuckle. "What could she possibly have to say that would be of any interest to me?"

"You know I hunted for her, my Lord," said Fenrir. "She was at Hogwarts and she stayed with the Order."

At the last word, Voldemort vaulted from his chair and approached them, his bare feet making the lightest tapping against the smooth floor. The snake in the corner slithered forwards, encircling Thalia. Sheer panic replaced her fear but she remained still, keeping her eyes directing in front of her on the ground, not wanting to look elsewhere for fear of seeing something even worse.

The snake formed a large circle around her, putting a barrier between her and the dark wizard. Voldemort's head tilted to the side in faint curiosity at the small girl before him. His red eyes narrowed a little and he pulled his wand out from within his sleeve, waving it in front of her warningly.

"There are no second chances, little girl," said Voldemort. "You tell me everything you told them and I'll spare you. Lie to me and you die."

Thalia nodded her understand and after a hesitant lick of her lips, she began talking. "They told me of the horcruxes and what they might be. I told them that I might know the location of one that I saw Bellatrix with. I don't know if they found it or not. I was never told if they ever found anything. One member, Remus, has been trying to get the werewolf packs to stand down although he hasn't had much luck."

If possible, Voldemort's pasty skin whitened with anxiety. His red eyes narrowed even further. "Horcruxes?" he enquired. "What did Dumbledore say about them?"

"That you had at least seven," replied Thalia. She heard her voice shaking but she continued. "He mentioned a diary, a ring, a locket and a cup. He speculated that the others were items that once belonged to the other founders of Hogwarts, but he doesn't know what they could be."

"Get out of my sight!" hissed Voldemort, his arms flailing about. "Wormtail! Get in here!"

The door flung open to reveal a cowering man with a silver hand. He walked in, standing half bowed, his voice so low that Thalia could only just hear him. "Y-Yes, my Lord?" he stuttered.

"Get the group together for a meeting. There are things that need to be discussed."

"Yes, of course, m-my Lord," stumbled Wormtail, tripping over his words.

"And don't…"

The rest of Voldemort's sentence went unheard as Fenrir pulled Thalia from the room by her arm and took her back upstairs and into the private room with Gracie. Her little sister was still as they'd left her, motionless and sleeping. Fenrir closed the door and locked it with his wand before approaching the girl on the bed. Thalia swallowed hard, her eyes widening as she remained where she was, watching.

* * *

The meeting took less than an hour. Thalia stood in the drawing room with everybody else, near the fireplace, the huge frame of her father crowding the corner of her eye. For the whole thing, she avoided his gaze, knowing that the bad thing wasn't going to wait until tomorrow. It was going to happen tonight.

For the meeting, it seemed only a select few Death Eaters were present. Voldemort spoke of his horcruxes and of the plans to retrieve all of them, wanting to keep them safe. When the meeting ended, none of the select few moved. They waited and it didn't take long for Thalia to see what they were waiting for. A few figures stood in the doorway, the front ones shoved into the room and pushed to their knees.

"Before we start, we have the business of our prisoners to attend to," said Voldemort, his eyes red gleaming as he looked his followers over. "And to prove her new found loyalty, Fenrir's delightful child will do the honours. Kill one or they all die."

Thalia took the wand her father offered, not sparing him a glance as she passed, moving to stand directly in front of Bill who was in the middle. Her eyes briefly glanced over Fred and George, the latter of whom was slouching, his body held up by a Death Eater clutching the back of his robes. His eyes were closed and his mouth hung open, a small line of drool dribbling down his chin.

In seconds, her eyes locked with Bill's and she immediately felt a great deal of guilt. The gaze held for longer than she cared for. Without needing the words she knew what Bill wanted. He wanted her to kill him and spare his brothers. But there was a problem with that. She was having trouble in trying to kill any of them. She fiddled with the wand in her fingers nervously, the wood somehow feeling foreign despite it belonging to her.

"Get on with it," snapped Voldemort, his lack of patience clearly showing through.

Thalia lifted her wand but the words faltered in her mouth and something else came out instead. "Caliga!"

Streams of thick smoke poured from the tip of her wand, filling the room in mere seconds. Thalia rushed forwards and grabbed Bill's wrist, pulling him forwards, hoping that he managed to grab his brothers in time. They coughed and spluttered, blocking out the shouts of anger and sounds of choking as they made their way to the front door. After a simple opening charm, the door sprung open and they stumbled out, their coughs deepening.

Behind them the smoke began to clear and heavy footsteps thundered after them, sending panic rushing through, their hearts racing with fear. Jets of white, red, blue and green lights zoomed overhead and all around them, the shouts clearly audible from behind.

A loud crack and a stream of white light hit all four bodies, sending them sprawling across the front lawn. Thalia gasped at the pain that shot through her knees but managed to scramble back to her feet and back towards the others. Bill hauled George to his feet with Thalia's help and they started to run again.

"Impedimenta!"

Cries of surprise were heard as they were blasted off their feet, landing metres from each other.

"Avada Kedavra!"

The green light hurtled forwards, hitting Fred square in the chest. A strangled sob left Thalia's mouth as she watched Fred's lanky form crumble lifelessly to the hard ground. Bill shouted somewhere beside her but it went almost unheard, the rushing of blood filling her ears.

"Dolens Sectum!"

An orange beam of light travelled towards them, illuminating the grass and hit Thalia in the back. She crumbled to the ground, tears leaking from her eyes as a white hot pain shot through her spine. It felt as though someone were holding the delicate structure in their hands and yanking it for their amusement. She rolled onto her stomach and attempted to crawl towards Bill and George who were both steadily moving away but she stopped as the pain worsened, turning her breaths into ragged pants.

"Go!" shouted Thalia, throwing her wand at them.

The spells continued to whizz past both Weasley's and Bill picked up the wand that rolled near his feet. With a final glance at Thalia, he apparated away with George. The array of colours stopped flying overhead and a howl of fury erupted through the air, sounding a lot like Bellatrix.

"At least Macnair got one of them," said an unfamiliar voice.

A kick in her side made Thalia turned sharply onto her back. Her wide grey eyes found her father's blue ones staring back. The look on his face was like nothing she'd seen before. It wasn't anger. It was way beyond that. It was fury and a calm fury at that but she knew it wouldn't last long.

"Seems like your little plan was a failure," sneered Fenrir. "I hope it was worth it."

He said nothing else. Bending down, he twisted a hand in her hair and dragged her past the staring Death Eaters and inside, pulling her up each staircase, ignoring the piercing screams that accompanied it.

* * *

Howls of agony sliced through the haunting silence of the handsome manor. It was loud and intense, stretching down the long corridors of the third floor. At the end of the longest, a thick black door kept the spectacle out of sight. Inside the room, Thalia hung against a bare wall that was once stark white by chains that were attached to the ceiling. Her toes skimmed across the diamond patterned vinyl floor, dipping in the pools of blood surrounding her, smearing it.

The black robe was gone as were her pants. The pale green top was in tatters, hanging onto her body by the thin strands remaining. The white panties had been turned red by the blood that exuded down from the deep gash in her stomach and the twin cuts around her thighs painted her pale legs in red. Thick, wet strands of brown hair curtained her face, hiding most of it from view.

The terrified face underneath was pale and stained with tear tracks. Her breathing was irregular and her throat had become hoarse from the screams of pain that accompanied every flick of Fenrir's wand or slash from the knife in his other hand. Time was moving slowly. It felt as though the torture had been going on for days when in fact it had only been a few hours.

Finally, Fenrir stepped back from his daughter. Looking her over, he smiled with pride. Her body hung limply from the chains and her blood painted the white wall behind her in stylish splatters. She was feeling weak, he knew that. The screams were gone now, replaced by a silent sobbing, evident by the shaking of her shoulders and harsh intake of breath every few seconds. Any feelings he had of remorse before were gone. All that was left was the rage he felt and all of it was coming out now.

"You know you brought this on yourself," said Fenrir, wiping the knife clean on his long black coat.

"I'm sorry," sobbed Thalia, her words barely audible.

"I know you are sweetheart," said Fenrir in a tone of mock tenderness. "But just being sorry isn't good enough this time."

Fenrir took a swig from the bottle of Firewhiskey on the desk before grabbing his wand and approaching her again. With a bit of effort, Thalia lifted her head and locked eyes with him. There was nothing but coldness there. What she was to him didn't seem to mean anything anymore.

"Are you going to kill me?" she asked, voice shaking uncontrollably.

Fenrir stepped in close and brushed a few wet locks away from her face, ignoring the blood that smeared across his already red stained fingers. "Oh, no sweetheart," he murmured, his breath hot against her cheek. He placed a gentle kiss on her lips which wasn't returned. "I would never do that."

The touch on her face left and Thalia groaned, begging under her breath for him to stop. Leaving the wand casually by his side, Fenrir raised the knife and dipped the tip into the front of her top. In a single, fluid motion, he brought his arm down, ripping the shirt clean through. The thin strands fell apart and the remaining tatters floated to the ground. Thalia hissed through her teeth at the coolness that hit her upper body and Fenrir chuckled, twirling the knife skilfully in his hand.

"We've got a long way to go," said Fenrir, the manic grin glued to his face. "Try to get as comfortable as possible."

A fresh round of screams filled the room as Fenrir shoved the knife in her side, missing everything important. As the knife pulled free, Thalia breathed deeply, her head hitting the wall and her eyes going up into her head. Despite everything, she had to hand it to him. He certainly knew how to hurt someone for a long period without killing them.

Suddenly, her eyes shot open and a cry of surprise erupted from her mouth. Fenrir's wand had dropped to the ground and with his free hand; he pressed one finger as far as he could into the wound, wiggling it around. The only audible sounds were the uneven breathing and the squishing from inside her body. On pulling the finger out, Thalia watched as Fenrir sucked the digit into his mouth, cleaning it of all the blood.

Thalia looked away, groaning as her stomach lurched and her gag relax worked overtime. Taking the knife in his other hand, Fenrir pressed the tip against the uninjured side. The other hand ran up and down her side a few times, coming to rest just below her breast. Fenrir's heavy, lust-laden breath hit her face as his lower body rubbed against hers, the blood from her body smearing onto his clothes.

"I have missed you…"

The blade sunk in like butter and as Thalia screamed again, Fenrir buried his face in her neck and bit down hard, drinking the blood that spilled into his mouth. Releasing hold on her neck, he lapped at the wound with his tongue, the soft growling under his breath sounding like 'mine'.


	15. Chapter 15

Warning - End of chapter contains child rape. If this bothers you, please don't read it. And if you don't like it and choose to continue, don't complain. You'll just be the idiot who read it anyway.

* * *

Chapter Fifteen

The black front door of Grimmauld Place closed with a solid thud. Members of the Order trod through the front hallway and down the stairs into the kitchen, minus one member. Most plopped themselves down at the wooden table and avoided each other's gaze. Sirius' idea, although suggested with the best intentions, wasn't well thought out. The search had turned up nothing and they were back empty handed, with no more answers then they had before.

The younger members sprawled their arms over the table, their heads hung in defeat. Hermione was the only exception. Her eyes were glued to Molly who was bustling about the kitchen, the faint sounds of pots and pans being moved. The stove was heated and she took ingredients from the fridge, chopping them with a flick of her wand.

"Molly, sit down," insisted her husband, concern written all over his face. "This can wait."

But the motherly witch didn't seem to hear him. She continued in her silent task of cooking, her expression one of concentrated intent. Arthur rose from his seat and approached her, his movements hesitant as he was unsure of how to approach the situation delicately. Hermione looked away, biting her bottom lip in determination not to cry. She wished there was something she could do for them.

The kitchen door opened again and the tall, well-built frame of Sirius Black entered. His grey eyes wandered over the others and at seeing Remus, he made a beeline for him. The two men stepped back but their quiet words went heard in the silent room.

"How's Tonks?"

"She's fine," said Sirius with a sigh. "She just needs some rest. I wish I could have done more…"

Sirius trailed off, his throat suddenly feeling tight. Hermione glanced up again, this time at Sirius. Even she knew that during a war, losing people was expected but nobody was ever fully prepared for it.

"It's not your fault," she whispered quietly.

"Yeah," agreed Ron, perking up somewhat. "I mean, they know how to cover their tracks, don't they? Not even the best nose in the world would have found anything."

A faint smile pulled at Sirius' lips but it didn't fully form. He appreciated the gesture but it didn't give him much comfort. After a silent exchange with Remus, he moved away, pulled out a chair beside Harry and sat down. The short silence was then interrupted as a pot fell to the floor, startling several people in the room. They all watched as Molly sobbed in her husband's arms.

"It's just not fair!" shouted Molly, pushing Arthur away from her. "Why did they have to take three of our children?"

"Nothing is fair in war, Molly," said Arthur calmly. "They're smart boys, they can look after themselves."

Slowly, Kingsley moved off the wall on the far side and stepped towards the door, his movements going unnoticed for the moment as the commotion near the stove continued.

"What do they possibly have to gain by taking them!" said Molly. "They're just children!"

"Bill iz not a child," said Fleur standing beside one of the only windows, her beautiful face looking pale and sullen.

"Yeah, she'd know," muttered Ron, rolling his eyes.

"That's enough," said Kingsley, his hand pushing the kitchen door open.

"If they don't come soon I don't know what I'll do…"

"I said enough," said Kingsley sharply, his deep voice cutting through.

"What is it?" said Remus, stepping towards him.

In the quiet, the noise soon became audible.

"Intruders," growled Moody, pulling out his wand.

"No, I don't think so," murmured Kingsley, holding up one hand.

The dark-skinned wizard went through the kitchen door and back up into the main hallway, several Order members following him. The long purple robes swept through easily and he took out his wand and pointed it at the front door where a light tapping could now be heard on the other side.

"No enemy would tap," mumbled Arthur, moving to the front of the group.

But Kingsley soon stopped him from getting any further and he approached the door alone, opening it with a tap of his own. Two bodies fell forward, the red hair on both of them unmistakable.

"Bill!" exclaimed Molly, rushing forward. "George!" She looked around quickly, her split second happiness fading rapidly. "Where's Fred?"

"He's bleeding," said Remus, pulling George up with Sirius' help, both of them carrying him into the living room and placing him onto the sofa. "Get Madam Pomfrey here and Dumbledore if you can find him."

Sirius nodded and disappeared out the front door without a word. The rest of the Order filed into the living room, looking down at George's still form and the lumped form of Bill who was resting against the armchair in the corner, squeezing Fleur's hand as Moody poked around the gash on his shoulder.

"He'll live," said Moody, getting to his feet and moving towards the sofa, bending down beside Remus to look at George.

"Where's Fred!" cried Molly, her brown eyes wide and shining with tears.

"Dead," said Bill, answering his mother's frantic question.

"D-dead?" she questioned, hardly daring to believe it.

Hermione moved across the room, bandages in hand, and knelt beside Bill, carefully attending to the wound. Fleur looked on, helping where she could, focusing on the task rather than what was being said around her.

"We made a run for it," said Bill. "But the Death Eaters caught up and there were so many of them. One sent a killing curse and it hit Fred. There was no time to stop and go back for him. I'm sorry."

Molly burst into tears and went to the sofa, looking George over, stroking his hair gently. Arthur joined her, his face pale and sombre. "And what happen to George?"

"We were taken to a mansion," said Bill, taking heavy breaths, managing to hold his own emotions in check. "Bellatrix decided she wanted to play and she took George's ear off. She used a spell I haven't heard of before."

"Who hurt you?" asked Fleur, stroking her husband's scarred face.

"Dolohov, I think," replied Bill. "He joined Bellatrix in her game but Voldemort soon ended their fun, lucky for us." Bill paused, his eyes glued to his parents. "I'm sorry, mum."

"You have nothing to be sorry for, son," said Arthur firmly. "You did everything you could."

A few moments passed and with a little magic from his wand, Moody managed to steady the flow of blood from George's ear. Without a word, he moved away, checking outside the room, obviously waiting for Pomfrey and Dumbledore to arrive. Hermione finished bandaging Bill's arm and after a mutter of thanks, she cleared everything away.

"Wait," said Remus, getting to his feet and breaking the silence. "Where's Thalia?"

It was the one question no one had thought of to ask. Remus met Bill's eye but the younger man shrugged and shook his head hesitantly. "I don't know," he said honestly. "But she's the reason we're alive. She made the distraction and got the three of us out of there. After Fred died, she got hit with a spell just before we were clear to apparate. It was painful and she couldn't move. She threw the wand to me and yelled at us to leave. It was too late to go back for her too."

There was a moment of silence before anything else was said.

"Do you think he'll kill her?" asked Hermione quietly.

Remus sighed, running a hand over his tired face. "If I know Greyback like I think I do, then no, he won't," replied Remus, knowing who she referred to. "He'll torture her instead."

Remus' face contorted in pain and left before anyone could say anything close to comforting. The soft thuds were heard going up the stairs and it was soon clear he was going to check on Tonks, wanting to be away from everyone who was conscious.

The living room once again turned to relative silence, the only thing breaking it were Molly's sobs. Before long, the front door opened and Dumbledore walked in with Madam Pomfrey in tow. The nurse wasted no time in checking on her new patient, shooing others away while she worked. Dumbledore's grave face looked over everyone in the room. He knew it was time. They couldn't wait any longer. A plan was needed.

* * *

The sound of movement outside the door startled her into consciousness. She bolted upright, her hands balling into fists in the sheets, her blue eyes widening and fearful, directed at the door that sat slightly ajar. Voices floated in but the words weren't heard clearly but it died down when a door closed and a few set of footsteps disappeared. When it was gone completely, she noticed a lump laying beside her in the bed and sat up to the side a little, fearing the worst but stopped when seeing it was another female, one a little older than her.

The used, white sheet stretched across the mattress was stained with blood. Fresh pools seeped through the centre of the mattress from the body lying on top. The young face turned stark white with panic. The body beside her barely showed any signs of life, her chest only moving up and down with the shallow inhales she took. Cautiously, she moved forward gently, leaning over the unfamiliar body. Her eyes wandered over the scars she came across, the new ones easily detectable as they still shone red with blood.

"Hello?" she questioned, poking the woman's arm.

But nothing happened. The woman remained motionless. The door to the room opened and in walked a large man with greying hair across his face and steel blue eyes that made her heart race in her chest. Already she could feel sweat seeping through the pores on her skin and the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. There was something horrible about all this.

"Do you remember me, sweetheart," purred Fenrir, closing the door, the lock clicking into place loudly. "I was the one who took you from those nice people that adopted you."

Gracie bit her bottom lip as it trembled with fear. "You we... were outside my window," she said shakily, remembering. "I heard a growling noise."

"Very good," praised Fenrir. "Now, do you know who I am?"

"The monster who took me," she whispered, barely audible.

"No, no, who I really am," pressed Fenrir.

Gracie took a few moments to think about it but came back with nothing. She shook her head and shrugged slightly, her face contorting in confusion. Fenrir sighed at the admission and walked around to the other side of the bed and Gracie did her best to stay away. In seconds, her lower back hit Thalia's side but she still tried to back away, her worry about the unfamiliar female no longer in her mind.

"I'm your father," Fenrir confessed, the grin on his face difficult to suppress.

"You're a liar," snapped Gracie, anger suddenly overcoming her fear.

She crawled over Thalia's legs and bolted for the door. It wouldn't budge and she kicked it and pulled on the handle forcefully, wishing for it to open but it still didn't. A growl sounded from behind and a yelp escaped her mouth as Fenrir grabbed her arm and unlocked the door with a flick of his wrist and dragged her to a standing mirror in the corner of the next room. They stood at the mirror together, the hulk of Fenrir standing behind her, a hand secure around her arm and the other looped around her waist in an almost possessive manner.

"Don't you see the resemblance?" asked Fenrir loudly, shaking her by the shoulders. But when she didn't look up at his reflection, Fenrir shook her again, harder. "Don't you see it!"

Gracie gasped in alarm at the rough treatment but gave in and looked between the two of them. And after a few minutes, she saw it; saw that he was right. There was a slight resemblance between them. The jaw structure and the blue eyes especially. Wanting it to go away, she shook her head and averted her eyes, scrunching them up as she waited for the next bit of rough treatment.

But instead, it was something else. A chuckle filtered through her ears and a light touch travelled across her stomach, making her open her eyes to stare back into the mirror. An expression of confusion and revulsion crept through as the masculine hand across her stomach began to caress the soft skin gently. Instinctively, she struggled against the arms holding her but lost without so much as a chance and quickly, he lifted her up and carried her back into the small, windowless room.

Gracie was pushed onto the bed, staring up at the large frame of the man claiming to be her father. His large, hairy hands descended, ripping open the fly of her blue jeans and yanking them off along with the plain white undies underneath. Fenrir stood up slowly, his hands pressing tightly against his thighs as he sucked in a harsh breath.

"Beautiful," he panted with a wide, feral grin.

Fenrir leaned over the lithe body, laying his body weight evenly over it and he crushed his mouth against hers. Gracie squealed at the contact and raised her arms, her hands firm on his chest, trying to push him away. But it only seemed to excite him further and to make his point, he ground his hips against her body, making sure she felt his full hardness before diving in for another kiss. Another squeal sounded as Fenrir grabbed the pale pink top and tore it down the front, exposing her heaving chest.

"You're gonna make daddy very happy, sweetheart," he panted hotly in her ear, unzipping the front of his black trousers, all the while ignoring the unconscious form of his eldest child.


	16. Chapter 16

Warning: Chapter contains child abuse/rape. Bothered by it? Don't read. Thanks.

* * *

Chapter Sixteen

The usual sounds of morning were erupted by the pained groaning coming from the small windowless room. Two bodies lay on the bed, side by side, one of them awake, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling while the other was just coming around. Thalia's eyes opened slowly, seeing nothing but the grey ceiling above in her blurred vision. Gritting her teeth, she attempted to pull herself up in a sitting position but quickly failed as pain shot through her abdomen, causing her to collapse back onto the bed.

The body beside her bolted upright and was off the bed in seconds before realising what had happened. Gracie stared for a moment but Thalia didn't attempt to get up again and she approached the bed, slowly getting back on it and moving forward. Leaning over her, they locked eyes and Thalia's widened a little further, wondering if what she was seeing was real.

"Gracie?"

The young girl moved back a little, her brow creasing into a frown. "How do you know my name?"

"Because I named you," gasped Thalia as another throbbing sensation passed through her abdomen. "You're my little sister."

"Then... then he really is my father..."

"I'm sorry," croaked Thalia, looking back up at the ceiling.

Gracie looked away from the woman claiming to be her sister and sat back, staring at the blank opposite wall. Several minutes went by in silence before Thalia shifted to look at her sister again. It seemed like she was staring into space, as the horrible revelation settled in. For a moment, Thalia wished she had the same option of finding out about Fenrir when she was older. Knowing him for all of these years felt like more than a lifetime and a long one at that.

"When did you talk to him?" asked Thalia, breaking the silence.

"Last night," replied Gracie. "You were unconscious."

"What did he do?"

Gracie drew her knees in close against her chest and lowered her chin down to rest on them. Thalia gave a shake of her head and closed her eyes momentarily. She recognised that body language. It said it all. Turning her head comfortably against the pillow, Thalia stared at her sister's back, for some reason, wanting to hear the words come from her mouth.

"He touched you?"

Gracie only nodded as she exhaled shakily.

"Did he say anything?"

There was another heavy breath before Gracie answered. "He said, 'you're going to make daddy very happy,' and he said that after he ripped my clothes and just before he..."

Gracie stopped talking and part of Thalia was glad of it. She didn't need to hear anymore of her father's sick impulses. It was bad enough she had to endure them herself, she didn't need to hear about how her sibling was suffering the same. Very slowly, Thalia lifted up her arms and pushed herself up against the headboard, startling Gracie into turning around. Their eyes met and Thalia saw Gracie bite her lip as her eyes slowly began to wander.

"How did you get all those scars?" she asked timidly.

"Some from our beloved father and most from my affliction," answered Thalia, not wanting to say the words.

"What affliction?" asked Gracie with a slight frown.

"I'm a werewolf," murmured Thalia. "And so is our father."

Grace was silent for a moment. "Am I...?"

"No," said Thalia instantly. "It's the reason I took you away when you were little. Father would have killed you for being human."

"Why hasn't he already?"

Thalia shrugged. "I honestly don't know."

The words hung in the air as it went silent between them, neither of them knowing what else to say. But the silence was quickly broken as the door open, unsettling both of them. They sat still and unmoving on the bed as the intimidating figure of Fenrir appeared in the doorway, a sneer already on his face. He stepped inside and pushed the door closed, the creaking of the hinges sounding unusually loud.

"Well, aren't my girls getting along nicely," commented Fenrir, his sneer becoming more pronounced. "It's about time you two met properly, don't you agree, Thalia?"

Thalia turned away and breathed deeply, looking at the opposite wall. She clenched her jaw before answering, not wanting another round of torture. "Yes, I agree."

"Good," purred Fenrir. "Did Gracie tell you about our night together?"

"Yes," repeated Thalia.

Fenrir approached the bed, coming to stand beside Thalia and gently, he reached down and stroked the side of her face, smiling almost proudly when she didn't pull away. The motions of his fingers continued as did their conversation.

"The dark lord's plan has been arranged," said Fenrir quietly. "It won't be long before he sends the signal and we have business to attend to before that happens."

"What business?" asked Thalia curiously.

"I am so glad you asked," said Fenrir in a pleased tone. "You have one final chance to redeem yourself and you get to choose."

"Between what?" asked Thalia, keeping her eyes forward.

"Giving Gracie the gift we share or following in my footsteps."

"Following in your... I don't understand," said Thalia, barely audible.

Fenrir bent down low to Thalia's level and forced her head around to look at him. "Either bite her when the full moon gets here or indulge in the very sin that I do."

Thalia continued to give her father a blank look causing Fenrir to growl low in his throat, frustrated at her obtuseness. His patience quickly ran out and he crushed their lips together in a hard kiss, making Thalia's eyes widen in shock. The kiss only lasted seconds and when Fenrir pulled back he gave another albeit possessive growl.

"Either bite her or become as guilty as you claim I am," said Fenrir tauntingly, stroking Thalia's hair. "You can deny it all you want, sweetheart but we're more alike than you care to admit. Sometimes you actually enjoy my company. Without it you go after strays, panting and begging like a bitch in heat and I know you hate to be ignored for very long."

The hand wandered from her hair, moving down her arm and along her side all the way down to her leg and stopped to stroke it up and down a little. Thalia watched his hand but didn't cringe or try to move away. It was the first time she hadn't resisted even in the slightest and she mentally shook her head. Did her father's words hold some truth? Was she just like him?

Before she could answer her own questions, her father's shadow loomed over her as he stood back up to his full height and Thalia's eyes followed him, resting on his face for a few seconds before looking at her lap. Despite the pain still throbbing through her body, she felt somewhat better and she wasn't sure what had caused it.

"Well?"

The question was eager and forceful. The weight she could feel on her shoulders doubled and she sighed heavily, her shoulders slumping with it. "I'll follow your footsteps," she whispered, her eyes closing in disgrace.

"I thought you would," muttered Fenrir, his tone one of elation. "You'll need this."

Instantly, Thalia looked back at her father and saw him handing over a potion. Without hesitation, she took it and swallow the contents in one go, coughing once at the bitter taste. The effects were instantaneous. The throbbing pain in the abdomen and all the places Fenrir had slashed and stabbed earlier were gone, a warm sensation washing over her.

Grabbing the small bottle, Fenrir smashed it against the floor and clutched Thalia's arm, pulling her to her feet. The world spun for a moment and then she was standing in front of Fenrir, his huge frame making her feel unusually small. Her hands were placed on his shoulders and his hands ran down her body, ripping off the bloodstained underwear she still wore and discarded it on the floor. Without warning, he shoved in fingers inside, making Thalia jump onto her tippy toes and hold onto her father tightly, her nails digging in.

"You'll need to be nice and ready," Fenrir murmured in her ear as he moved in closer.

Thalia gasped and hissed through her teeth as his movements became harder and more erratic, his breathing sound unnaturally loud in her ears. But she held on, ignoring her body's response to the treatment and bit her lip as her cheeks burned hot. Fenrir's free hand ran up her back, giving her chills and she dug her nails in even more, knowing he enjoyed it.

"I knew you would choose this option," said Fenrir, through his thick breaths. "I had hoped you would. What makes her so much better than you? Why does she get to live a normal life away from me while you receive pleasure at my hands every day?"

Thalia clenched her jaw at his words. She had been trying to keep those thoughts at bay. It's not like she hadn't thought about it but as her father had pointed out earlier, life wasn't fair. You didn't get to choose everything.

"I want to see you make her squirm," uttered Fenrir excitedly. "I want to see her writhe in agony on the bed, cry out for help and beg for you to stop. Do you think you can do that?"

No response came and Fenrir rammed Thalia up against the nearest wall, pumping his fingers harder to get an answer. Thalia gripped Fenrir's arms and rode along with his hand, her head nodding up and down.

"I do... I understand," she gasped, her knuckles turning stark white.

A feral cry tore from Thalia's mouth as she came; shutting her eyes tightly and rode through the aftershocks. Fenrir allowed her to finish and once she was, he pulled the three fingers from her body and sucked the digits into his mouth, humming in appreciation as he did. With his eyes, he pointed to Gracie, who was still on the bed, her eyes wide, having watched the whole thing. She stood in front of Gracie, shivering as the presence of Fenrir appeared behind her and she waited, wanting some kind of sign.

"You're a monster."

Thalia's eyes closed momentarily as Gracie's soft but firmly spoken words washed over her. When her eyes reopened, a new look emerged in the stormy grey orbs; untouched enmity. Without even a touch or word from Fenrir, Thalia dived in and crushed her lips against Gracie's. The conflict within was resolved and no longer did she care.

* * *

"Where's Harry?"

The question turned the living room of Grimmauld Place quiet. The attention went to Ron and Hermione who were sitting beside each other at the table, neither having said a word since returning. They exchanged sideways glances at one another, waiting for the other to speak first.

"He's coming back," said Ron unhelpfully.

"We found the last horcrux," declared Hermione. "Harry said he wanted to destroy it alone. He didn't want to take the chance of hesitating again like with the locket."

"So the diadem was where Albus thought it would be?" asked Ginny curiously.

"Yep," said Hermione with a tired nod of her head.

"It's almost over then," grumbled Moody who stood in the corner, leaning on his walking stick.

"Yes," said Dumbledore, appearing through the creaky kitchen door. "It is almost over but the hardest part is yet to come."

"The horcruxes weren't the hardest part?" asked Ron, slumping in his chair.

"No, I'm afraid not, Ronald," said Dumbledore with a wry smile. "The hardest part will be getting to Voldemort himself. We still don't know where he is but he now knows that we know about his horcruxes."

"Yeah," said Harry, appearing behind Dumbledore. "As he tried to head us off at them."

"There is bad news though," said Dumbledore, looking down at the others through his half-moon glasses. "I do believe there is one more horcrux."

"What?" said Hermione quickly.

"What is it?" added Ron, looking just as surprised.

"Nagini."

At the mention of Voldemort's pet snake, the room went back to being quiet. If Nagini were a horcrux then they all knew what that meant. They'd have to get in close to even have a chance. The silence was soon broken as the front door opened with a bang, startling several members in the kitchen and making a couple rush into action, their wands at the ready.

But they weren't needed as Kingsley made an appearance, his facial expression one of concern. "Quickly," he said, gesturing for them to follow. "The girl."

Mutterings of confusion went around the room but no one questioned it as several older members of the Order followed Kingsley. The trio and most of the Weasley's followed behind but at a distance, their curiosity too strong to hold back. They all watched as Kingsley carried a young girl inside and placed her on the sofa in the living room.

"Get Madam Pomfrey," said Dumbledore quietly. "It seems we've found Gracie."

"Thalia's little sister?" questioned Remus, who stepped in and stood beside Dumbledore.

"Yes," the older wizard murmured.

"So, what? Fenrir does have a heart or something?" snapped Sirius.

"I doubt it," sighed Remus as he ran a hand over his tired features. "Her clothes are torn and there's blood. He did something to her."

"Disgusting," Sirius muttered before walking out.

Most members of the Order remained in the living room, some watching as Madam Pomfrey tended to the young girl and some talking amongst themselves in whispers. Downstairs, the front door opened again and in seconds the figure of Arthur appeared. All eyes were directed his way. He looked exhausted, the dark circles under his eyes a giveaway.

"What has happened?" demanded Dumbledore, his voice betraying concern.

"There's a dark mark in the sky," said Arthur clearly. "Above Malfoy Manor."

"He's been there this whole time?" wondered Ron.

"It's a trap," warned Moody.

"Yes, it is," said Dumbledore almost calmly. "But we have no choice. He's a coward. We must go to him."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

Malfoy Manor stood alone in the distance with an air of calmness surrounding it. An almost full moon sat high above in the sky, giving the scene an eerie feeling. A light breeze wafted through, rustling the nearby trees but other than that there were no other sounds present; no voices, no animals, no transport, nothing. It was almost complete silence.

The Order stopped just within sight of their destination and came together in a huddled group. Many of them had expressions of worry and fear, all of it stemming from the fact that they had no idea what they were about to be walking into. Everyone looked to Dumbledore, whose blue eyes looked dull but the rest of his face remained impassive, as though he didn't want to give anything away about how he was feeling.

"We'll have to split up," he said in a firm but quiet voice.

The whole Order was split up in pairs and each was given a piece of ground to cover. When the time had arrived, they moved, going in single file up the long driveway. They fanned out, at least half going towards the gardens while the others continued towards the house. They passed through the entrance to the gardens easily. It opened to a wide space where peacocks waddled in the dark. Towards the back of the house sat a hedge labyrinth.

"We'll go into that," said Remus. "Spread out in the rest of the garden and keep your eyes open."

The ones remaining nodded and watched as Remus and Tonks cautiously made their way to the hedged labyrinth, their wands out and at the ready. Bill and Fleur walked towards the left of the garden, while Arthur and Ron moved to the right and Molly and Ginny moved ahead.

Back on the driveway, the remaining Order members walked up towards the front door, passing through the iron gate the middle without problems. Dumbledore frowned but said nothing, gesturing for them to keep going. When metres away, the door creaked open, making them all stop in their tracks, wands pointed up, ready for whatever was about to come out. But nothing did. With small, cautious steps, they continued forward.

From a window on the fourth floor, Thalia looked down at the scene below, a few others doing the same. The familiar presence of Fenrir stood behind her but she didn't turn around, wanting to see it begin. The attack came swiftly and colourful lights sprayed from each wand, lighting up the darkened gardens. Wisps of smoke and small fires already billowed into the air, making some areas hard to see. At a pull on her arm, Thalia tore her eyes away and paid attention to her father.

"There's no going back," warned Fenrir.

"I know," whispered Thalia. "What are we going to do?"

"Defend," said Fenrir. "Anyone who comes up here, we put down, understand?"

Thalia only nodded in response before looking back out the window. Her eyes widened a little and her mouth fell open as she was unsure of what to think or how to feel. Already bodies lay on the ground but which side they were on was unclear. The first noise from downstairs startled Thalia and she turned sharply, her eyes on the closed door. She knew there were people in the living room. The ones coming in through the front door were not likely to get very far quickly.

"Let's go," said Fenrir, gesturing to her and the Death Eaters in the room, all of who were masked.

Thalia removed her wand from inside a robe Fenrir had given her and she held it firmly by her side. Fenrir was first to the door and first one out. Thalia watched as the five Death Eaters in the room piled out on after the other and with a final glance outside, she followed. Aside from the booted footsteps of the men in front of her, the hallway was soundless. The surrounding doors were closed and with a glance down the other end, she saw it was dark and lifeless. With a sigh, she turned and followed the others.

At the end of the hallway, they went round a corner and instantly a blast full of colour whizzed past, most of the soaring past and hitting the wall. Thalia jumped back in fright and saw her father crouched down low, blood seeping from an open wound on his leg. The five Death Eaters with them ran out and returned the favour, sending a handful of their own spells but Thalia didn't join them. She ran to Fenrir and bent down beside him.

"It's nothing," snapped Fenrir before she could say a word.

Thalia stood up and backed off as Fenrir returned to his feet. His features contorted in anger and he joined the others, firing spells off without a seconds thought. Thalia peeked around the corner at what was happening and saw Kingsley and Hermione, along with two people she didn't recognise, fighting back. Looking away, Thalia pressed her back into the wall; half hoping it would open up and swallow her whole. She knew it was cowardly, but part of her didn't want to go out there. She wouldn't survive.

A few thuds hit the floor, gaining Thalia's attention back. Two of the Death Eaters had fallen, their masks busted open from the fall, blood seeping out from their black robes. The other belonged to one of the two people she didn't recognise. He lay there, unmoving, his wand inches from his fallen hand. Heavy footsteps followed, pounding against the floor and after a harsh growl from Fenrir's throat, they were moving again. In seconds, they reached the stairs where a new scene greeted them.

McGonagall, along with a red-headed man she didn't recognise, followed Harry and Sirius through the front hallway. They made their way downstairs and entered the fight, Thalia lingering behind them. From behind, the front door opened and Thalia jumped to the side and around, expecting it to be the worst.

"Impedimenta!"

The spell missed Thalia, hitting a Death Eater whose back was turned and finally, she acted, finding her voice.

"Stupefy!"

The spell hit Fleur in the stomach and instantly she crumbled to the floor in a heap. Thalia took a step forward and she looked down at Fleur's unconscious form. There was a tear in the sleeve of her silver robe, blood staining the outside and Thalia just stared, suddenly curious about if she would make it if left like this. But the thought was quickly pushed from her mind as the huge frame of her father blurred her vision and crashed into her, sending both of them sprawling into the next room.

The living room was unusually quiet; the only sounds being heard were of the battle that raged outside and the soft hissing of an animal nearby. Thalia yelped loudly as Fenrir hauled her to her feet by her arm and pulled her across the room. The table still stood in the middle but many of the chairs were askew and turned over as though someone had moved in a rush. As they passed the table, Thalia's eyes caught sight of the snake travelling underneath and it wasn't long before more people joined them in the room.

Within a plume of thick black smoke, the dark lord appeared, his wand in hand, his red eyes darting between each Order member that stood in the room along with his own people. Dumbledore and Harry stepped forward. Harry's hands were full, one with his wand and the other with a sword Thalia knew nothing about. It was already dripping with blood and a seemingly sticky green substance. Kingsley, Moody and Hermione stepped in behind them and Thalia took a step back, her father's large frame shielding her slightly.

"Petrificus Totalus!"

Kingsley's spell hit the snake and it instantly went still.

"Protego," Dumbledore uttered quickly as a rain of spells went their way from Voldemort and his followers.

They hit the shield and bounced off. Harry rushed forward and swung the sword, the silver blade gleaming and it cut through the snake as though it were cutting through hot butter and the head fell against the floor with a thud. Several more followers along with Order members surrounded the room and a flash of green came from Voldemort briefly before vanishing.

"NO!" he screamed at the loss of his pet.

The red eyes narrowed as they landed on Harry and with a huge surge of power, the shield was broken and Harry was pushed away.

"Avada Kedavra!"

A twirl of green light travelled across the room, hitting Dumbledore before he had any time to react and he fell down, dead, a look of faint surprise on his face. Harry screamed and a rush of spells lit up the room, Thalia shielded from most of it, only sending the odd spell of her own into the mix. But the protection came to an end as three stunning spells were shot at Fenrir. With a tiny grunt, he dropped to the ground and after deflecting a spell, Thalia bent down and checked on him. There was no pulse.

Rage flooded her senses and Thalia's grey eyes locked onto one person who'd sent the spell; Remus. The only male werewolf left back out of the room and fled down the corridor, Thalia giving chase. They ended out in the backyard, the hedged maze now ablaze with flames that reached high into the air, smoke almost entirely blacking out the sky.

Remus stopped metres from the house and Thalia slowed down, pointing her wand directly at him. "What are you doing?"

The question made Thalia frown. "What do you mean?"

Remus sighed, his shoulder slumping. "I thought this might happen but I didn't want to believe it. I wanted to believe that you'd fight him and that you had helped Bill because you had no choice not because you wanted to stay."

"I helped him because I wanted to!" shouted Thalia, furious at the accusation. "I wanted to escape again but couldn't. I was alone and there was no getting away again, not with father watching me like a hawk and all these Death Eaters around."

"You can end it now," said Remus gently, holding up his other hand. "All you have to do is put the wand down."

For a split second, Thalia thought about it before shaking her head defiantly. "I can't," she hissed. "You've killed my father. There's nothing left for me now."

"What about Gracie?" asked Remus quickly.

Thalia's eyes seemed to glaze over at the mention of her little sister. "What about her?" asked Thalia, shrugging her shoulders. "She'll be better off without any of us."

"A few people have already died," said Remus clearly. "There doesn't have to be anymore."

"Who's died?" asked Thalia curiously.

"Along with Dumbledore, Moody was killed," replied Remus. "And Ginny, Neville... although I doubt you knew him. A few others are injured. Fleur being the one you stunned."

"She tried to attack me," retorted Thalia.

"She probably panicked," said Remus quickly.

"Yeah, sure," said Thalia, not believing him.

"Look, just-"

"Expelliarmus!"

Remus' sentence was cut short as Thalia sent a spell towards him but he blocked it easily. Another sigh left his lips as he hung his head briefly before he looked up again at Thalia. He shook his head slowly, seeming to not understand how this had happened.

"What did Fenrir do to you?"

"Nothing," said Thalia with another shrug. "I'm Thalia Greyback! I am his daughter and there is nothing in this world that can change it. I am like him, more than I've ever cared to admit. I've seen it myself."

"How?" pressed Remus. "What did you do?"

An odd, maniacal grin appeared across Thalia's face. "Gracie."

"You..." Remus trailed off, his words leaving him and soon, the realisation appeared on his face. "You didn't?"

"I warned you. He's a monster," stated Thalia. "And so am I. You should keep an eye on Gracie."

The snap of a branch behind her drew her attention away for a split second as did Remus'. A dark figure stormed out from the shadows and an arm snaked around Thalia's throat holding her in place and a sharp pain radiated through her back.

"Sirius, no!" cried Remus, stepping forward.

But it was too late. Sirius pulled out the silver knife and stabbed Thalia again and again. A choking noise gurgled in Thalia's throat and her hand fell open, the wand dropping onto the bloodstained grass. Her grey eyes widened as the pain turned white hot and spots flooded her vision. Sirius released his hold and she fell forward with a thud and the air was forced from her lungs. Noises disappeared, sensations vanished and her body shook for second before her eyes closed, the world going dark.


	18. Epilogue

A/N: If you read the original version, you'll notice that the big change is Thalia's ending. In the original version of the story, she didn't die but in this time, she does. I changed my mind. The more I thought about it, the more I thought she couldn't have lived, especially after what she'd done.

* * *

Epilogue

The war had ended with the death of Lord Voldemort. But it came at a heavy price. Harry's life had been extinguished too. Instead of neither can live while the other survives, both of them died instead. It seemed almost unnecessary when it was thought of now. The war had other heavy costs too; the Order was largely reduced in size and a few young students dead long before their time. But something good had come from it besides the dark lord's downfall. His followers were gone, only the odd one escaping.

In the cemetery at Godric's Hollow, the remaining members of the Order stood to say their farewells to their fallen heroes. But away from the others stood a separate, newly laid grave, only one person standing before it. Remus stood with his head bowed and his hands clasped in front of him as he looked down fresh dirt.

His thoughts lingered on past events he shared with her. He had already asked himself over and over if there was more he could have done. If maybe there were signs he should have seen. But no matter how hard he looked, he found nothing. Looking back, he wasn't sure if the whole thing had been a game, a test or if it had been a real, genuine cry for help. And he was aware that he would probably never know. That knowledge died with her.

Almost an hour went by before Remus was joined by another person. Hermione's light blue dress swayed in the gentle breeze that was picking up and she spared a quick, single glance at the grave they stood at before looking at Remus. Her features were tight and tense with concern as she looked over her former Professor.

"It really is over now."

"The cost was too high," said Remus with a sigh. "I should have done more. Thalia didn't have to die."

"She made her choice," said Hermione. "As did Sirius. Considering what you told us, its better this way. No one will be a victim of her or Greyback anymore. And Gracie is at Hogwarts, safe."

"And how long before she turns into him as well?" asked Remus bitterly.

Hermione shrugged. "She's human," she stated with a little confidence. "And she was raised differently. She knows better and we'll all be there to help her."

"Yeah," Remus muttered, turning away.

Together they walked back over to the other graves of people they were saying goodbye to. Remus stepped in beside Tonks and took a gentle hold of her hand, squeezing it lightly. The gesture was returned but nothing more was said. For the first time, Remus felt the backs of his eyes sting with tears but none of them fell.

He looked among the remaining members and inhaled deeply, feeling something close to reassuring. Despite the injuries and the deaths, they had won. This evil was gone. And wasn't it what they all had been fighting for, no matter what the cost?

* * *

If you've stuck with my story for this long, I applaud you. Thank you. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.


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